Word
high-profile
Meanings
attracting a lot of public attention; widely reported and discussed
involving someone who is famous or important and therefore closely watched
Definition
High-profile describes a person, event, or issue that attracts a lot of public attention and media coverage.
Something high-profile is widely noticed, discussed, or reported on, often because it involves famous people or an important situation. It suggests strong public interest and visibility rather than private or low-key activity. The term is commonly used for jobs, campaigns, investigations, cases, and events that draw media scrutiny.
Examples
- The journalist was assigned to a high-profile investigation that drew intense national scrutiny.
- She accepted a high-profile role at the museum, knowing every decision would be closely examined.
- They launched a high-profile campaign to raise awareness, and the message spread quickly across major outlets.
- He tried to keep a low-key routine despite a high-profile breakup that dominated the headlines.
- We needed a high-profile speaker for the conference to attract an international audience.
Common mistake
Learners often confuse high-profile (publicly prominent) with high-level (senior or advanced in rank or difficulty).
More at C1 level
- ubiquitous Present, appearing, or found everywhere at the same time.
- xenophobia Xenophobia is a strong dislike or fear of people from other countries or cultures.
- genocide Genocide is the deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular group in order to …
- conundrum A conundrum is a confusing and difficult problem to solve.
- pretentious Trying to seem more important, intelligent, or cultured than you really are.
More adjectives
- agnostic An agnostic is someone who does not claim to know whether God exists.
- pragmatic Pragmatic means focused on practical results rather than ideals or theories.
- ubiquitous Present, appearing, or found everywhere at the same time.
- cynical Cynical describes believing that people are mainly motivated by self-interest and not sincere.
- apathetic Apathetic means showing little or no interest, concern, or enthusiasm.