高こう名めい

こ

う

め

い

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

Describes a person, achievement, or institution that is widely known and respected. Often used in formal or written contexts.

Only with reading こうめい

Honorific expression for the listener's name. Typically used with the prefix ご as ご高名. Restricted to reading こうめい.

〈人ひと〉として高こう名めいだto be renowned as a certain kind of person (e.g., artist, scholar)
彼かれは画が家かとして高こう名めいだ。
He is renowned as a painter.
ご高こう名めいはかねがね伺うかがっておりますa formal honorific phrase meaning 'I have long heard of your reputation'
先せん生せいのご高こう名めいはかねがね伺うかがっております。
I have long heard of your distinguished reputation, sir.
高こう名めいな〈人ひと〉a famous, distinguished person
高こう名めいな学がく者しゃにお話はなしを伺うかがった。
I had the chance to speak with a distinguished scholar.

有ゆう名めいN5sense 1
有名 is the everyday word for 'famous', while 高名 is a more formal, literary term implying high esteem.
著ちょ名めいN1sense 1
著名 also means 'well-known' but is slightly less formal and more neutral in tone than 高名.
名な高だかいN1sense 1
名高い is an adjective meaning 'renowned', used more often in narrative or descriptive writing than the na-adjective 高名.
偉えらいN4
高名 formally describes someone as famous or eminent in their field, while 偉い is the everyday word for being high-ranking or distinguished.

無む名めいN1sense 1
無名 means 'unknown, obscure', the direct opposite of 高名's sense of being famous or distinguished.

名な前まえplainN5sense 2
名前 is the plain, neutral word for 'name', while ご高名 is the honorific form used to refer respectfully to someone else's name or reputation.

公こう明めいN1sense 1
公明 (fairness, impartiality) is a homophone of 高名 (famous) but has an entirely unrelated meaning about justice, not renown.
光こう明みょう
高名 (こうめい) means 'renowned' or 'famous name', a completely different word that happens to share the alternate reading こうめい with 光明.

高名Usage100%
- こうめい
  Standard kanji spelling for both senses. Reading こうみょう is rare and not represented by a separate written form.
- こうみょう
こうみょう

Compound of 高 (high, noble) and 名 (name, reputation). The reading こうめい is the standard on'yomi; こうみょう is a rare alternative reading.