higher-ups

IPA/hˈaɪəɹˈʌps/
IPA/hˈaɪɚɹˈʌps/

higher-ups — noun

1. the people who hold senior positions inside a company, government, or other grou

1.名詞B2
釋義

the people who hold senior positions inside a company, government, or other group, and who make decisions that affect the workers below them

例句

Defne complained that the higher-ups had cancelled the bonus without warning the staff.

subject of report-verb: the higher-ups + past-tense decision

The higher-ups at the hospital decided to close the night clinic for three months.

collocation: higher-ups at [organization]

同義詞
  • bosses

    more direct; refers to the people who actually supervise you, not just senior figures

  • management

    neutral business term; treats the senior group as a single body rather than as individuals

  • the top brass

    very informal; originally military, often used about senior officers or executives

  • the powers that be

    deliberately vague; emphasises that decisions come from unseen authority

反義詞

文法句型

the higher-ups

higher-ups at [organization]

用法筆記

Almost always plural and preceded by 'the'. Subject is usually rank-and-file employees talking about distant decision-makers; carries a faintly resentful or detached tone rather than a respectful one.

常見錯誤

❌Ask the higher-up for permission.
✅Ask the higher-ups for permission.
💡the noun is almost always used in the plural form 'higher-ups'.
❌My higher-ups boss told me to leave.
✅My boss, one of the higher-ups, told me to leave.
💡'higher-ups' is a noun, not an adjective; do not place it before another noun.