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Highbrow vs Middlebrow - What's the difference?

highbrow | middlebrow | Related terms |

Middlebrow is a related term of highbrow.


As adjectives the difference between highbrow and middlebrow

is that highbrow is (us|colloquial) intellectually stimulating, highly cultured while middlebrow is (pejorative) neither highbrow or lowbrow, but somewhere in between.

As nouns the difference between highbrow and middlebrow

is that highbrow is a cultured or learned person or thing while middlebrow is a person or thing that is neither a highbrow or lowbrow, but in between.

highbrow

English

Adjective

(wikipedia highbrow) (-)
  • (US, colloquial) Intellectually stimulating, highly cultured.

    • Antonyms

    * lowbrow

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A cultured or learned person or thing.

    • Related terms

    * lowbrow * middlebrow

    References

    * ESC, 2003. Re:highbrow, middlebrow, lowbrow'', ''The Phrase finder . * Robert Hendrickson, 1997. Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins'' (New York: ''Facts on File )

    middlebrow

    English

    (wikipedia middlebrow)

    Adjective

    (-)
  • (pejorative) Neither highbrow or lowbrow, but somewhere in between.

    • Usage notes

    Generally pejorative, implying pretension and vulgarity – aspiring and appropriating high culture, but not appreciating it. On occasion instead used positively.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A person or thing that is neither a highbrow or lowbrow, but in between.

    • References

    *ESC, 2003. Re:highbrow, middlebrow, lowbrow'', ''The Phrase finder . * Robert Hendrickson, 1997. Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins'' (New York: ''Facts on File )