high as a kite
10
9.0
- idiom
- NSFW
:
eufórico
- I was high as a kite—so high I was hunting geese with a rake.
- high as a kite now
- still high as a kite
I'm, I'm high as a kite and I'll tell you why.
- I'm, I'm high as a kite and I'll tell you why.
- And I was out every night in Merston it and and of course, I was high as a kite all that time.
- That crowd who has been high as a kite for decades is waking up.
Examples
-
I'm sure Romney still feels high as a kite with his first performance, as he should, with the media declaring a "defeat" of Obama despite speaking four minutes less.
Blog text (29) -
After winning the lottery, I was high as a kite for the entire week.
-
Apollo is high as a kite right now.
-
I'm high as a kite.
Fiction book (1998) -
You're high as a kite, Professor!
-
Man, man, he's high as a kite!
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Sorry if this doesn't make a lot of sense, I am as high as a kite right now.
Blog text (1) -
Malcolm and Sophia are high as a kite and on the town.
Fiction book (1992) -
I was high as a kite, actually, though I couldn't have explained why, and still can't.
Fiction book (1991) -
But she's going to be teaching an Italian class next term, and she's high as a kite over it, singing little Italian songs.
Fiction book (1997)
Synonyms
8
3.8
To feel very happy and successful after a big achievement
7
3.2
A strong feeling of being very happy and excited
6
3.9
Full of energy and excitement
5
7.9
A strong feeling of pleasure caused by drugs or alcohol
4
3.0
Feeling very happy and full of energy
2
7.5
Feeling very happy and excited for no clear reason
1
5.5
Feeling very pleased and excited
Antonyms
How Euphoric
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase builds on the adjective 'high' plus the simile 'as a kite,' so a learner who knows the words can plausibly infer an intensified sense of being 'very high' or elated (kite = high in the sky). However, the expression is a colloquial, metaphorical simile that also commonly denotes intoxication and carries pragmatic/idiomatic nuances that are not fully predictable from the parts, so full comprehension may require prior exposure.
Etymology
High as a kite comes from the simple picture of a kite flying very high in the sky, so someone who feels light and lifted by strong joy or excitement seems like they are up in the air. That's why it now means 'extremely happy' or sometimes 'intoxicated'.