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high-maintenance. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
high-maintenance, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
high-maintenance in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
high-maintenance you have here. The definition of the word
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English
Etymology
According to the Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang, the figurative sense was popularized by the 1989 romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally....
Adjective
high-maintenance (comparative more high-maintenance, superlative most high-maintenance)
- (of a system) Requiring a high degree of maintenance to ensure proper functioning, and without which it is likely to break down.
- (figuratively, derogatory, of a person) Requiring a lot of attention or reassurance; emotionally needy
He has this incredibly high-maintenance girlfriend; if he doesn't tell her that he loves her every five minutes, she tends to break down into hysterical depressive weepy fits.
1989, Nora Ephron, When Harry Met Sally... (motion picture), spoken by Harry Burns (Billy Crystal):There are two kinds of women: high maintenance and low maintenance.
Antonyms
Translations
requiring a high degree of maintenance to ensure proper functioning, and without which it is likely to break down
(of a person) requiring a lot of attention or reassurance; emotionally needy
See also
References
- ^ Michiko Kakutani (1997 November 18) “From 'Happy Camper' to 'Out of Sight'”, in The New York Times