high-rent
UK[ˌhaɪ ˈrent]US[ˌhaɪ ˈrent]
adj
(of a property, area, or lifestyle) requiring or involving the payment of a large amount of rent; expensive.
adj
(informal, by extension) characteristic of or associated with wealth, luxury, or high cost.
Morpheme Breakdown
high
rent
high
adjective
rent
noun
Etymology
The compound adjective 'high-rent' is a modern formation, directly combining two established English words. The first element, 'high', carries its figurative sense of 'great in amount or degree', a semantic extension from its original physical meaning of elevation. The second element, 'rent', retains its core meaning of payment for property use. The compound's logic is transparent: it literally describes property commanding a large rental sum. Through metaphorical extension, primarily in informal American English, 'high-rent' evolved to describe anything associated with an expensive, luxurious, or affluent lifestyle, effectively using the cost of housing as a metonym for overall wealth and status.
Analysis
Structure: high (adjective) + rent (noun)
- high: From Old English hēah, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch hoog and German hoch. Functions as an adjective meaning 'of great vertical extent' or 'great in amount, value, or intensity'.
- rent: From Old French rente, from a root meaning 'to yield'; related to Latin reddere 'give back'. Functions as a noun meaning 'a tenant's regular payment to a landlord for the use of property or land'.
Examples
They moved out of the high-rent district to save money.
The boutique sells high-rent fashion to a wealthy clientele.
His high-rent tastes included vintage sports cars and bespoke suits.