high horse
Self-righteous attitude
A high horse is a position of moral superiority or self-righteousness that someone assumes when criticizing others.
The expression appears almost exclusively in the phrases get on your high horse and get off your high horse, the latter being a command to stop acting superior or condescending.
The image derives from the historical association of riding a tall horse with elevated social status.
He needs to get off his high horse and admit he's made mistakes too.
Excessively high self-regard
- pompousAffectedly grand in manner
- haughtyDisdainfully proud
- egotisticalExcessively self-centered
- vaingloriousBoastfully proud, ostentatiously so
grandiose · pretentious · swaggering · bombastic · overweening · domineering · lordly · imperious
Treating someone as inferior
- disdainfulShowing open contempt
- snootyAffectedly superior in manner
- haughtyDisdainfully proud
- scornfulShowing open contempt
dismissive · sneering · contemptuous · derisive · supercilious · imperious · lofty · condescending
Feigning moral superiority
- holier-than-thouSmugly moralistic toward others
- preachyExcessively moralizing in tone
- moralizingDelivering ethical lectures
- judgmentalInclined to criticize others
smug · self-satisfied · priggish · pharisaical · pietistic · lecturing · finger-wagging · sermonizing
Depart from transport
- climb downWithdraw a stated position
- dismountGet off something ridden
- humble pieFigurative food of apology
- comeuppanceDeserved punishment or rebuke
taken down a peg · brought low · eat crow · check yourself · deflated · humbled · reality check · grounded
arrogant
Excessively high self-regard
- pompousAffectedly grand in manner
- haughtyDisdainfully proud
- egotisticalExcessively self-centered
vainglorious · grandiose · pretentious · swaggering · bombastic · overweening · domineering · lordly · imperious · swollen-headed
patronizing
Treating someone as inferior
- disdainfulShowing open contempt
- snootyAffectedly superior in manner
- haughtyDisdainfully proud
scornful · dismissive · sneering · contemptuous · derisive · supercilious · imperious · lofty · condescending · talking down
sanctimonious
Feigning moral superiority
- holier-than-thouSmugly moralistic toward others
- preachyExcessively moralizing in tone
- moralizingDelivering ethical lectures
judgmental · smug · self-satisfied · priggish · pharisaical · pietistic · lecturing · finger-wagging · sermonizing · pontificating
get off
Depart from transport
- climb downWithdraw a stated position
- dismountGet off something ridden
- humble pieFigurative food of apology
comeuppance · taken down a peg · brought low · eat crow · check yourself · deflated · humbled · reality check · grounded · put in place
- Horse Idiomshold your horses, wild horses, one-trick pony, pony up, horsepower
- farm idiomsmake hay while the sun shines, cream of the crop, till the cows come home, buy the farm, put out to pasture
- horsesmare, mares, stallion, stallions, colt
- arrogancearrogant, conceited, pompous, vain, haughty
- showing offboasting, bragged, show off, bragging, boasted
high horsehumility
Freedom from arrogance
modesty · humble pie · meekness · unpretentiousness · self-effacement
high horseself-awareness
Insight into one's psyche
self-deprecation · mea culpa · feet of clay · live and let live · tolerance
high horseground level
Surface elevation plane
down to earth · in the trenches · on equal footing · grassroots · man of the people
high, height, horse, higher, highest, heighten, horseshoe, horseback, horseplay