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Glite Dictionary
to get on someone's high horse

to get on someone's high horse

8.7
To act as if you are better than others and tell them they are wrong
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : ponerse en su pedestal
  • I got on my high horse and rode right over what you had actually said.

Examples

  • Believe it or not, I'm generally not one to get on my high horse.

    Blog text (19)

  • - Got on my high horse.

    The Spanish Prisoner (1997)

  • Let's hope the man would be mad to get on his high horse about past promises.

    Lion Of The Desert (1981)

  • She often gets on her high horse when discussing social justice issues, believing her opinions are the best.

  • He really gets on his high horse during meetings, lecturing everyone about what they should do.

  • Whenever he talks about politics, he tends to get on his high horse, acting as if he knows more than everyone else.

Synonyms

to lord it over
vsto get on someone's high horse
  • Informal
6 8.2

Act as if you are better than other people

is about arrogant moral or intellectual stance rather than enforcing control
to put on airs
vsto get on someone's high horse
  • Informal
4 8.4

Act as if you are better than other people

is the genuine arrogant attitude rather than a put on performance
on your high horse
vsto get on someone's high horse
  • Offensive
3 8.6

Acting like you are better than other people

is the broad arrogant moral stance rather than one specific action
to condescend
vsto get on someone's high horse
3 8.1

To do something you think is below you but do it anyway

shows the same sense of being better but focuses on acts not talk
to act superior
vsto get on someone's high horse
1 6.7

Behave as if you are better than other people

is the general arrogant attitude rather than only asserting authority
to give oneself airs
vsto get on someone's high horse
1 8.1

To act as if you are better than other people

is the same pretence but highlights an attitude rather than just habit
to speak with condescension
vsto get on someone's high horse
8.3

Talk to someone in a way that shows you feel better than them

expresses arrogant thinking as an overall attitude not only through words

Antonyms

humble
222 2.8

Not proud and not thinking you are better than others

self-effacing
7 7.4

Not wanting attention and being modest

How Self-Righteous

to get on someone's high horse
  • Informal
8.7
to talk down to
  • Offensive
15 6.6
to take pride
45 3.4

Surface Forms

get on someone's high horse infinitive
got on someone's high horse past
gotten on someone's high horse past participle
getting on someone's high horse present participle
gets on someone's high horse third person singular

Morphology

get + on + someone's + high + horse

The literal parts ('get on' = mount; 'high' = elevated; 'horse' = animal) create a visible metaphor of being elevated above others, which hints at superiority. However, the specific pragmatic meaning 'act arrogantly or self-righteously' is an idiomatic, culturally grounded extension and not fully derivable by a B1 learner from the constituents alone, so it is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Get on someone's high horse may come from the image of a person literally getting on a very tall high horse so they stand above and look down at everyone; from that high place they can lecture others, which is why the phrase now means 'to act arrogant' or 'to act superior'.