高尚 (gāoshàng) describes moral nobility and refined taste — it is used for a person's character or an artwork's elegance, focusing on ethical or spiritual elevation. Unlike 高贵 (gāoguì), which can imply high social birth or luxurious grandeur, 高尚 is purely about personal virtue and cultivated refinement. It also differs from 崇高 (chónggāo, 'sublime, majestic'), which is reserved for grand ideals or magnificent natural scenes.