lift

1 of 3

verb

ˈlift 

lifted; lifting; lifts

transitive verb

1

a

: to raise from a lower to a higher position : elevate

b

: to raise in rank or condition

c

: to raise in rate or amount

2

: to put an end to (a blockade or siege) by withdrawing or causing the withdrawal of investing forces

3

: revoke, rescind

lift an embargo

4

a

: steal

had her purse lifted

b

: plagiarize

c

: to take out of normal setting

lift a word out of context

5

: to take up (something, such as a root crop or transplants) from the ground

6

: to pay off (an obligation)

lift a mortgage

7

: to move from one place to another (as by aircraft) : transport

8

: to take up (a fingerprint) from a surface

intransitive verb

1

a

: ascend, rise

the rocket lifted off

b

: to appear elevated (as above surrounding objects)

2

of inclement weather : to dissipate and clear

liftable

ˈlif-tə-bəl 

adjective

lifter noun

lift

2 of 3

noun (1)

1

: the amount that may be lifted at one time : load

2

a

: the action or an instance of lifting

b

: the action or an instance of rising

c

: elevated carriage (as of a body part)

d

: the lifting up (as of a dancer) usually by a partner

3

: a device (such as a handle or latch) for lifting

4

: an act of stealing : theft

5

a

: assistance, help

b

: a ride especially along one's way

6

: a layer in the heel of a shoe

7

: a rise or advance in position or condition

8

: a slight rise or elevation

9

: the distance or extent to which something rises

10

: an apparatus or machine used for hoisting: such as

a

: a set of pumps used in a mine

b

chiefly British : elevator sense 1b

c

: an apparatus for raising an automobile (as for repair)

d

: ski lift

11

a

: an elevating influence

b

: an elevation of the spirit

12

a

: the component of the total aerodynamic force acting on an airplane or airfoil that is perpendicular to the relative wind and that for an airplane constitutes the upward force that opposes the pull of gravity

b

: an updraft that can be used to increase altitude (as of a sailplane)

13

: an organized movement of people, equipment, or supplies by some form of transportation

especially : airlift

14

: plastic surgery on a part of the body typically to improve a drooping or sagging appearance especially by reducing excess skin and fat

a neck lift

lift

3 of 3

noun (2)

chiefly Scotland

: heavens, sky

Synonyms

Verb

• boost
• crane
• elevate
• heave
• heft
• heighten
• hike
• hoist
• jack (up)
• perk (up)
• pick up
• raise
• take up
• up
• uphold
• uplift
• upraise

Noun (1)

• abetment
• aid
• assist
• assistance
• backing
• boost
• hand
• help
• helping hand
• leg up
• support

Choose the Right Synonym for lift

lift, raise, rear, elevate, hoist, heave, boost mean to move from a lower to a higher place or position.

lift usually implies exerting effort to overcome resistance of weight.

lift the chair while I vacuum

raise carries a stronger implication of bringing up to the vertical or to a high position.

scouts raising a flagpole

rear may add an element of suddenness to raise.

suddenly reared itself up on its hind legs

elevate may replace lift or raise especially when exalting or enhancing is implied.

elevated the taste of the public

hoist implies lifting something heavy especially by mechanical means.

hoisted the cargo on board

heave implies lifting and throwing with great effort or strain.

heaved the heavy crate inside

boost suggests assisting to climb or advance by a push.

boosted his brother over the fence

Examples of lift in a Sentence

Verb

The paramedics lifted the stretcher into the ambulance.

lift a bucket of water

He lifted his foot from the gas pedal.

He lifted his pen from the paper.

She lifted her hands to the sky.

The story lifted him to national recognition.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Erskine was lifted for a pinch-hitter and the Dodgers scored three runs in the top of the eighth and went on to win, giving him his first victory. —Russ Stanton, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024

Those bans have since been lifted and the airspaces reopened, but that doesn’t mean that airlines have returned to their normal operations in the Middle East. —Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Apr. 2024

The Bennett Freeze was temporarily lifted in 1992, and an ambitious $20 million construction plan for new dwellings was proposed that would have improved living conditions and increased the economic viability of the Bennett Freeze area. —The Arizona Republic, 15 Apr. 2024

In two minutes, the tornado lifted after traveling just over a mile, the team said. —Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 13 Apr. 2024

Airlines for America, a trade group that counts Delta, United, American, and JetBlue among its members, is pushing back on a Department of Transportation plan to lift the weekly cap on China-to-America flights from 35 to 50. —Melvin Backman, Quartz, 12 Apr. 2024

The effort lifted the 6-foot-5 junior from St. Augustine High School to team highs in batting average (.344) and home runs (11) and second in RBIs (30). —Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2024

Playing against one of the NBA’s worst teams, the Portland Trail Blazers, the Warriors looked lost until the very end, when Steph Curry turned it on and Kevon Looney came off the bench to lift the Warriors to a 100-92 win. —Jason Mastrodonato, The Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2024

In March, the U.S. and China agreed to lift the number of round-trip flights to 50 a week by Chinese airlines, still far below the average 340 flights before the pandemic. —Diane Brady, Fortune, 12 Apr. 2024

Noun

Then the rock lifts, and the creepy crawlies are met with the wide eyes of a researcher. —Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2024

Strong winds swing chair lifts at ski resort in Italy Sudden wind gusts struck the Cervino Ski Paradise in Breuil-Cervinia, Italy, last week while some skiers were still riding the chair lift. —Stephen Sorace, Fox News, 1 Apr. 2024

Workers in lifts used torches earlier to cut parts of the twisted steel superstructure above water. —Mike Pesoli, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2024

Ten chairs were damaged and removed from the lift, Snowbrains, a ski and weather news source, reported, but the lift still reopened the next day. —David Caraccio, Sacramento Bee, 30 Mar. 2024

Mid-pandemic, Escalon explored the work-to-ski lifestyle while operating a lift at Sugarbush in Vermont. —Tonya Russell, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Mar. 2024

Big Sky is the second largest resort in the country, has room to potentially expand further, and is famously uncrowded in an industry plagued by crowds and long lift lines. —Larry Olmsted, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024

The lift station and sewer improvements project will extend sewer availability to undeveloped land on the west side of town and be a centralized sewage system, said Daniel Ellis, the city engineer. —Campbell Roper, arkansasonline.com, 23 Mar. 2024

Within the last decade, advancements in gear technology, a rising cost of lift tickets, and a desire to escape crowds have resulted in a boom in backcountry skiing. —Josh Laskin, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old Norse lypta; akin to Old English lyft air — more at loft

Noun (2)

Middle English, from Old English lyft

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing lift

• dead lift
• eye lift
• hitch a lift
• lift a finger
• face-lift
• lift the lid on
• lift down
• lift one's gaze
• ski lift
• lift weights
• J-bar lift
• lift truck

Kids Definition

lift

1 of 2 verb

ˈlift 

1

: to move to a higher position, rate, or amount

2

: to rise from the ground

planes lifting from the runway

the rocket lifted off

3

: to stop or remove often temporarily

lift a blockade

lift a ban

4

: to move upward and disappear or become scattered

when the fog lifts

lifter noun

lift

2 of 2 noun

1

: the amount that may be lifted at one time : load

2

: the action or an instance of lifting

3

: help especially in the form of a ride

can I give you a lift?

4

a

chiefly British : elevator sense 1b

b

: a device for carrying people up or down a mountain

5

: a raising of the spirits

their visit gave me a lift

6

: an upward force (as on an airplane wing) that opposes the pull of gravity

Medical Definition

lift

noun

ˈlift 

: plastic surgery on a part of the body typically to improve a drooping or sagging appearance especially by reducing excess skin and fat

… many plastic surgeons claim that doing a brow lift or a neck lift at an earlier age can help postpone more invasive face-lifts later on …

—Liz Welch, Glamour

lift transitive verb

Legal Definition

lift

transitive verb

: to put an end to : make no longer effective

lift the stay