facelift

noun

face·​lift ˈfās-ˌlift 

variants or face lift or face-lift

plural facelifts or face lifts or face-lifts

1

: plastic surgery on the face and neck to remove or reduce signs of aging (such as wrinkles or sagging skin)

[Robert] Redford's publicist of 33 years, Lois Smith, denies her client has had any sort of facelift, eye job or chemical peel. "He's never, never, never had cosmetic surgery," she says.

—People Weekly

Many face lifts last between five and 10 years, but the procedure can cause hematomas, bleeding and nerve damage …

—Mary Murphy

Technically, a face-lift "lifts" both the face and the neck, and many plastic surgeons believe the neck shows the more dramatic improvement.

—Vogue

2

: an alteration, restoration, or restyling (as of a building) intended especially to modernize

The facelift was intended to return the 95-year-old hall's acclaimed acoustics to original purity …

—US News & World Report

Over time, the building was given a $15 million face lift, which created a new entrance on Fifth Avenue, subdued but plush interiors and escalators.

—Carrie Donovan

All 48 models from kids bikes to $3,000 racing bikes were redesigned … and each got a color and graphics face-lift.

—Laura Loro

facelift transitive verb

or face-lift or less commonly face lift

facelifted or face-lifted also face lifted; facelifting or face-lifting also face lifting; facelifts or face-lifts also face lifts

… said she would like to add more parking and continue to work on facelifting the venue.

—Dean Manning

… a former vaudeville palace recently face-lifted into a glittering performing arts center.

—Priit Vesilind

Examples of facelift in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Why Deep Plane and Endoscopic Facelifts Matter Modern facelifts no longer focus solely on surface tightening. —Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 9 Jan. 2026

This is because, in 2026, facelifts aren’t the only major surgery reaching into the undetectable deep plane. —Essence, 7 Jan. 2026

Your body care routine could use a facelift. —Olivia Rose Rushing, InStyle, 7 Jan. 2026

For context, Lohan credited her current glow to a great self-care regimen and denied facelift rumors in May 2025 during a conversation with none other than Chloe Fineman. —Whitney Perry, Glamour, 6 Jan. 2026

If 2025 can be characterized as the year of natural looking facelifts and salmon sperm, what does 2026 hold in terms of facial plastic surgery and aesthetics? —Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 6 Jan. 2026

From the plastic surgery fad trending among men to the effects GLP-1 medication is having on cosmetics to a wider range of facelifts on the market, these are what the pros predict will have a moment. —Hedy Phillips, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026

The goal was to give the city a facelift and provide better transportation and infrastructure to its more than 16 million residents. —Saumya Roy, The Dial, 6 Jan. 2026

After an ownership change and a facelift, a longtime ice cream parlor in Land Park is set to celebrate its reopening this weekend. —Molly Riehl, CBS News, 2 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1926, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for facelift

• adrift
• airlift
• festschrift
• forklift
• gearshift
• makeshift
• redshift
• sealift
• snowdrift
• spendthrift
• clift
• drift

Kids Definition

face-lift

noun

ˈfā-ˌslift

1

: plastic surgery on the face and neck to remove defects and imperfections (as wrinkles or sagging skin)

2

: an alteration, restoration, or remodeling (as of a building) intended especially to make more modern

face-lift verb

Medical Definition

facelift

noun

face·​lift

variants or face lift or face-lift

ˈfā-ˌslift 

: plastic surgery on the face and neck to remove or reduce signs of aging (such as wrinkles or sagging skin)

called also rhytidectomy

facelift transitive verb

or face-lift also face lift