お高たかくとまる

お

た

か

く

と

ま

る

Meanings

1

expression, godan verb (-ru)

put on airs; act self-important; be stuck-up

Describes someone acting haughty or superior, often with a sense of looking down on others. The phrase is a set expression.

彼かれは最さい近きんお高たかくとまっていて、話はなしかけにくい。
He's been putting on airs lately and is hard to talk to.
あの人ひとはいつもお高たか

く

とまっ

て

いる

から

、

あまり

好す

き

じゃ

ない

。

That person is always acting self-important, so I don't really like them.

Written forms

お高たかくとまる
Standard kanji-kana mixed spelling.
お高たかく止とまる
Alternate kanji spelling using 止.
お高たかく留とまる
Alternate kanji spelling using 留.

Kanji

高tall, high, expensive
止stop, halt
留detain, fasten, halt

Similar words

気き取どる
気取る means to put on airs or act affected, often with a focus on stylishness or pretense. お高くとまる is more about acting superior and looking down on others.
威い張ばる
威張る means to act bossy or domineering, often with overt arrogance. お高くとまる implies a more aloof, condescending attitude rather than direct bossiness.

Etymology

The phrase combines the honorific prefix お with 高く (adverbial form of 高い, 'high') and とまる ('to stop/stay'), literally 'to stay high'. It figuratively means to maintain a lofty, superior attitude. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it is a set expression in modern Japanese.