aloft

1 of 2

adverb

ə-ˈlȯft 

1

: at or to a great height

measuring the winds aloft

2

: in the air

especially : in flight (as in an airplane)

meals served aloft

3

: at, on, or to the masthead or the higher rigging

went aloft to unfurl the sails

aloft

2 of 2

preposition

: on top of : above

bright signs aloft hotels

Synonyms

Adverb

• overhead
• upward
• above

Examples of aloft in a Sentence

Adverb

The balloon stayed aloft for days.

the ease with which he can hold a ballerina aloft with one hand is awesome

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

After winning a bronze in Swedish massage, Cool Raúl Rodriguez Hernandez glowed with pride and held his Cuban flag aloft. —Sarah Larson, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025

If a bird glides down more slowly than the air is rising, the rising air keeps it aloft. —Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2025

Weather and range limits kept this recent test at 73 hours, but in theory, the aircraft could remain aloft for weeks. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2025

When the monsoon ridge shifts over the Four Corners region, winds aloft summon tropical moisture north, sometimes bringing the remnants of Pacific hurricanes with it. —Hayleigh Evans, AZCentral.com, 4 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adverb

Middle English, from Old Norse ā lopt, from ā on, in + lopt air — more at on, loft

Preposition

Middle English alofte, derivative of alofte aloft entry 1

First Known Use

Adverb

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Preposition

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for aloft

• hayloft
• coughed
• croft
• doffed
• loft
• oft
• scoffed
• soft
• toft
• waft

Kids Definition

aloft

adverb or adjective

ə-ˈlȯft

1

: in the air

especially : in flight

2

: at, on, or to the higher rigging of a sailing ship