Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
to take the high road

to take the high road

22 5.9
To do the right thing and not respond angrily
  • idiom
translation icon : actuar con integridad
  • When faced with criticism, she chose to take the high road and responded with kindness.
  • go take the high road
  • try to take the high road
  • want to take the high road

So from that standpoint and really going back to our first episode in the pivot, right, we took the High Road.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • Speaking of Romney, he has taken the high road throughout the election.

    Blog text (9)

  • And I feel better about myself when I take the high road and give credit where credit is due.

    Blog text (24)

  • Everyone saw that I tried to take the high road there.

    Vampire Academy (2014)

  • Always take the high road.

    Captain Fantastic (2016)

  • I take the high road.

    Laws of Attraction (2004)

  • Let's just take the high road and do what we do.

    Pitch Perfect 3 (2017)

  • I'll take the high road.

    The Whoopee Boys (1986)

  • We've known each other a long time and you seem to me to take the High Road at every turn.

  • I'm so impressed that you took the high road and were thankful instead of upset.

    Blog text (26)

  • It's time we took the high road, metaphorically as well as physically.

    Fiction book (1999)

Synonyms

to go high
vsto take the high road
8.1

Respond calmly and respectfully to an attack instead of fighting back

acts with moral integrity when facing provocation rather than retaliating
to maintain the high ground
vsto take the high road
6.7

Keep a morally better or stronger position in an argument

focuses on behaving ethically when provoked rather than holding advantage

Antonyms

to take the low road
3 8.2

Act in a less honest way to get an advantage

How Principled

integrity
447 4.3
fair
∞ 1.0
to take the high road
22 5.9
to compromise
215 3.7
selfishness
50 3.0

Surface Forms

take the high road infinitive
taking the high road present participle
takes the high road third person singular
took the high road past
taken the high road past participle

Morphology

take + the + high + road

The constituents 'take' (choose), 'high' (superior), and 'road' (way/path) combine to suggest choosing a superior path, so a learner who knows the words can often infer a metaphorical meaning related to taking a morally superior course of action. However, the ethical sense is a metaphorical extension (spatial → moral) and not fully literal or universally predictable, so full understanding may require prior exposure.

Etymology

The idiom take the high road may come from the image of choosing a higher path on a journey, where the high road is safer and gives a clearer view. So, to take the high road means 'to behave morally' or 'do the right thing' instead of answering with anger.