# high and dry

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/high-and-dry
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Abandoned, stranded, helpless.

## Examples

- My car broke down and left me high and dry.
- When my business partner quit without notice, he left me high and dry with all the work.
- The sudden collapse of the travel agency left hundreds of tourists high and dry in a foreign country without any way to return home.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.