What does highflier mean?
A highflier is a person regarded as ambitious, notably talented, and likely to achieve substantial success. The expression is especially common in business, politics, entertainment, and other competitive fields, where it can describe both an established success and a promising newcomer. It also refers more broadly to a company, stock, or other entity experiencing unusually rapid growth or strong performance. The term generally conveys approval and suggests someone capable of advancing far beyond ordinary expectations, although it can sometimes sound slightly envious or overly admiring. Often written with a hyphen as high-flyer, it combines the idea of rising high with the older sense of a flyer as an airborne person. Its strong positive connotation makes it more specific than terms such as successful person and more openly admiring than achiever.
nounA person who is ambitious, successful, and likely to achieve further success. The term can also refer to a company, security, or other entity that rises or performs exceptionally well.
- An ambitious person who is successful or has the potential to become successful.
- A company, security, or other entity distinguished by rapid growth or exceptional performance.
"With her talent and ambition, she quickly became a highflier in the technology industry."
"The young lawyer was a highflier who moved quickly through the ranks."
"The biotech start-up became a highflyer after its shares tripled in a single year."
The usual plural is highflyers; when written as a compound with a hyphen, high-flyers is also common.
"Several highflyers from the graduate programme were promoted within two years."
From the world of aviation came a term for someone soaring above the crowd—and eventually a label for ambition that lifts a career.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does highflier come from?
Highflier is a compound formed from high and flier, an agent noun based on the verb fly. The expression developed in an aviation context before being extended figuratively to ambitious and successful people. Its later use for rapidly performing businesses and securities continues the original image of rising above others. The spelling high-flyer is now the more usual form, though the closed form highflier is also accepted.
Related word forms
How highflier is actually used
Highflier is chiefly informal and usually carries a strongly positive, though sometimes faintly admiring or envious, tone. It is commonly written as high-flyer; highflier is also established. The word is predominantly used in British and American English.
Easily confused with highflier
A highflier is an ambitious or exceptionally successful person or entity, whereas a flyer is generally a document, leaflet, or advertisement intended to be distributed.
Flier is a less common spelling of flyer; in combination with high, the standard form is usually high-flyer, although highflier is also accepted.