high and mightinessn.
/ˌhʌɪ ən(d) ˈmʌɪtɪnᵻs/, /ˌhʌɪ n̩(d) ˈmʌɪtɪnᵻs/, U.S. /ˌhaɪ ən ˈmaɪdinᵻs/ 1. With possessive adjective. A title of respect or respectful form of address given to a person of high rank or status; spec. a title given to a member of the States General of the Netherlands (now historical). Also as a mock title, esp. given to a person considered to affect an air of superiority. Cf. High Mightiness n. at high adj. and n.2 Compounds 4.
ΚΠ
1647 Mercurius Pragmaticus No. 12. sig. M4v He sent Sir Iohn Buckey on Ambassage to their High-and-Mightynesses at Windsor.
1653 G. Wither Mod. States-man iii. 29 Their High and Mightinesses be not brought as low as their situation.
1691 Monsieur in Mouse-trap 2/1 I here present your Royal Highness, and your High and Mightiness, an Authentick Copy under my Masters own Signet.
1716 B. Griffin Humours of Purgatory ii. 39 Pluto is his High and Mightiness here, and will not suffer any of those Trades, but Vintners only.
1759 Monitor No. 191. 360 Let the minister from their High and Mightinesses be told, that Great Britain is not to be bullied into a compliance with new claims of rights and privileges.
1839 G. W. M. Reynolds Pickwick Abroad 95 If so be you rek-vire a ambassador, as ull represent your case to his high and mightiness, [etc.].
1876 Family Herald 30 Dec. 129/2 I feel certain his serene high-and-mightiness has never ridden in a hay-waggon in his life.
1915 H. WE. van Loon Rise Dutch Kingdom v. 73 While outside in the streets the people went into frantic joy about the new Batavian liberty,..their High and Mightinesses met for the very last time.
1951 G. Heyer Duplicate Death xix. 264 His High and Mightiness took such a time to answer the bell!
2008 M. G. Brown Tormented & Prisoner vii. 140 He was looking forward to finding the last artifacts, bringing them before his high and mightiness, King Gordon.
2. The quality of being high and mighty; high rank or status; (now usually) arrogance, superciliousness.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > pride > pretension to superiority > [noun]
pensifulnessc1450
affectation1548
affection1570
affectedness1622
lady aira1637
fastuousness1649
gentility1650
fastuosity1656
vapouring1656
flatulency1662
hoity-toity1668
pretendingness1701
with an air1701
pretension1706
flatulence1711
uppishness1716
high and mightiness1771
pensieness1825
fine-gentlemanism1831
pretentiousness1838
ambitiousness1845
stuckupishness1853
pretensiveness1859
notion1866
side1870
dog1871
hoity-toityism1881
superiority complex1921
snootiness1932
uppitiness1935
snottiness1973
snoot1984
swag2002
1771 J. Shebbeare Authentic Narr. Oppress. Islanders Jersey II. 29 Should a few constables offend the high and mightiness of Charles the stadholder,..the law may be called in aid to support the pravity of the brothers.
1843 Graham's Mag. Sept. 136/1 You go for magnificent principles, gentlemen! You scorn high-and-mightiness, and aristocracy!
1852 C. M. Yonge Two Guardians xiii. 246 That touch of Edmund's, which had shown her how he regarded her ‘high-and-mightiness’, had made her..ashamed.
1896 Westm. Gaz. 13 June 2/2 This high-and-mightiness is not calculated to endear the Under-Secretary to the Press in general.
1918 W. J. Locke Rough Road xxiv He smiled in the way any elderly gentleman may smile when he finds himself recognized by high-and-mightiness as a person of importance.
1953 E. Wilkins & E. Kaiser tr. R. Musil Man without Qualities xviii. 85 His mind staggered, reeling back, powerless, before the high-and-mightiness of those who did not understand.
2012 Age (Melbourne) (Nexis) 7 July (Insight section) 17 Labor's frustration with the Greens' general ‘high and mightiness’ spilled over publicly last week.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2014; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
<
n.1647