lofty

1 of 2

adjective

ˈlȯf-tē 

loftier; loftiest

1

a

: elevated in character and spirit : noble

lofty ideals

b

: elevated in status : superior

the less lofty customers of the bar

2

: having a haughty overbearing manner : supercilious

She showed a lofty disregard for their objections.

3

a

: rising to a great height : impressively high

lofty mountains

b

: remote, esoteric

… basic precepts are not lofty abstractions far removed from matters of daily living.

—Dwight D. Eisenhower

4

: having full-bodied, firm, and resilient textile fibers

lofty flannel

loftily

ˈlȯf-tə-lē 

adverb

loftiness

ˈlȯf-tē-nəs 

noun

loftiness

2 of 2

noun

loft·​i·​ness -tēnə̇s 

-tin-

plural -es

: the quality or state of being lofty

with the loftiness of a patriot of old Rome

—George Meredith

soap imparts to silk material a bulk and loftiness difficult to obtain with synthetic softening agents

—H. C. Speel & H. H. Mosher

Synonyms of lofty

Adjective

• tall
• high

Choose the Right Synonym for lofty

high, tall, lofty mean above the average in height.

high implies marked extension upward and is applied chiefly to things which rise from a base or foundation or are placed at a conspicuous height above a lower level.

a high hill

a high ceiling

tall applies to what grows or rises high by comparison with others of its kind and usually implies relative narrowness.

a tall thin man

lofty suggests great or imposing altitude.

lofty mountain peaks

Examples of lofty in a Sentence

Adjective

He set lofty goals for himself as a teacher.

She showed a lofty disregard for their objections.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The somewhat muddled tale of a wealthy foreigner in Italy, going feral from the pressures of maternity both lost and found, feels longer on rather lofty style than substance for some time. — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 30 July 2026

Despite lofty expectations, Saudi league insiders say success is if standards are comparable to Dutch clubs rather than Europe’s elite clubs. — Adrian Elimian, semafor.com, 30 July 2026

The soundtrack accompanying the blockbuster film The Odyssey also opens in a loftier space. — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026

The company posted exponential growth in both earnings and revenue, but the figures failed to justify Wall Street’s lofty expectations for one of the biggest winners of the AI boom. — Yun Li, CNBC, 29 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

lofty

adjective

ˈlȯf-tē 

loftier; loftiest

1

: proud sense 1a, haughty

a lofty manner

2

a

: of high, noble, or excellent quality

lofty ideals

b

: of high rank : superior

3

: rising to a great height

lofty redwood trees

loftily

-tə-lē 

adverb

loftiness

-tē-nəs 

noun