A novel and compact highpass filter (HPF) is proposed in this article. This filter is based on a hybrid-coupled dual-metal-plane microstrip/DGS (defected ground structure) on a single-layer substrate. The resonator etched in the grounding plane shows a wide-band dual-mode resonant response within the desired high-pass frequency band, and is composed of a modified U-shaped slot resonator embedded with an L-shaped slot. The wideband highpass filtering performance is achieved by the dual-mode resonator at the bottom of single-layer substrate coupled broadside to the top microstrip stubs. Simulated results from the electromagnetic (EM) analysis software and measured results from a vector network analyzer (VNA) show a good agreement, and an excellent performance with nearly 40 dB attenuation at the lower stopband has also been obtained across an ultra-wide highpass range. A designed and fabricated prototype filter, having a 3-dB cutoff frequency (fc )o f 5.9 GHz, shows an ultra-wide highpass range, i.e., from 5.9 to 15.52 GHz, and exhibits the highest pass-band frequency up to 2.6fc. The printed circuit board (PCB) area of the implemented filter is approximately 0.086 λg × 0.13λg, λg being the guided wavelength at fc.