A high-rise is a tall building with many floors, usually at least seven to ten stories high. When you look up at the skyline of a big city like New York or Chicago, those towering buildings reaching toward the clouds are high-rises. They're called high-rises because they rise high into the air, much taller than ordinary houses or small shops.

High-rises pack a lot of space into a small ground area, which makes them perfect for crowded cities where land is expensive. A single high-rise apartment building might house hundreds of families, while a high-rise office building could hold thousands of workers. The tallest high-rises are sometimes called skyscrapers, though people sometimes use the terms interchangeably.

Living or working in a high-rise means taking elevators instead of just walking up a few stairs. The view from upper floors can be spectacular, letting you see for miles across a city.