lift

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

Synonyms of lift

• raise
• elevate
• hoist
• uplift
• boost

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

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

Then came party number two on Sunday, when Arsenal’s players finally got their hands on the trophy and lifted it above their heads in the last game of the league season – cue more scenes of celebration across the English capital and beyond. —Ben Church, CNN Money, 30 May 2026

With one out in the fourth inning, Trea Turner lifted a fly ball into the gap between Tucker and center fielder Andy Pages. —Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2026

Ureña threw a 1-and-0 sinker over the middle and Diaz lifted it to the opposite field, just over the right field fence. —Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 30 May 2026

Minimizing soil disturbance is practiced in the springtime to loosen the soil by using a garden fork and sliding it into the soil at about a 30-degree angle, lifting up to just barely crack the soil. —Special To The Denver Post, Denver Post, 29 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing lift

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

Rhymes for lift

• clift
• drift
• gift
• miffed
• rift
• shift
• shrift
• sift
• sniffed
• thrift
• tift
• adrift

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