with one's head held high
Proudly, with pride.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“She walked out of the room with her head held high.”
“Even though he lost the competition, he accepted his medal with his head held high.”
“Despite the harsh criticism from his peers, he stood his ground and finished his presentation with his head held high.”
From the phrase *hold one's head high*. No specific year of origin or named author is recorded for the idiomatic extension.
- 01
abound in one's own sense
To follow one’s own inclinations and opinions.
- 02
ace up one's sleeve
A surprise advantage of which others are not aware.
- 03
act one's age
To behave in a manner appropriate to one's age.
- 04
act one's age, not one's shoe size
Synonym of act one's age (“to behave in a mature manner; to avoid being childish”).
- 05
afraid of one's own shadow
Exceptionally timid.
- 06
air one's dirty laundry in public
To reveal one's sordid secrets to the public.
- 07
air one's dirty linen in public
Synonym of air one's dirty laundry in public.
- 08
albatross around one's neck
A characteristic, possession, associate, or previous deed that hinders one's ability to succeed.
Last updated August 10, 2026