aloft

1 of 2

adverb

Synonyms of aloftnext
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

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
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Adverb
The Wright Brothers made the first-ever successful powered flight back in 1903, getting their Wright Flyer (also known as Flyer 1) aloft over the dunes of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Mike Wall, Space.com, 26 Jan. 2026 That evening, even more people gathered on Main Street, holding their phone flashlights aloft in a show of solidarity against ICE. Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 26 Jan. 2026 When warmer air rides over that shallow layer of cold air at the surface, rain droplets can melt aloft and then refreeze on contact, leading to freezing rain. Troy Bridges, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026 His image has indeed been held aloft by some protesters, though gauging his true level of support inside the country is difficult given the lack of reliable opinion polls and independent media. Peter Nicholas, NBC news, 18 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for aloft

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of aloft was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Aloft.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aloft. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.

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

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