高 is used broadly: 高兴 (happy), 高中 (high school), 高速 (high speed), 提高 (to improve). The opposite is 矮 (ǎi, short in height) for people, or 低 (dī, low) for things.
culture
高 is a common Chinese surname. The famous football coach Gao Lin (高林) and many historical figures share this name.
