lift

1 of 3

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

lift

2 of 3

noun (1)

1

: the amount that may be lifted at one time : load

2

a

: the action or an instance of lifting

b

: the action or an instance of rising

c

: elevated carriage (as of a body part)

d

: the lifting up (as of a dancer) usually by a partner

3

: a device (such as a handle or latch) for lifting

4

: an act of stealing : theft

5

a

: assistance, help

b

: a ride especially along one's way

6

: a layer in the heel of a shoe

7

: a rise or advance in position or condition

8

: a slight rise or elevation

9

: the distance or extent to which something rises

10

: an apparatus or machine used for hoisting: such as

a

: a set of pumps used in a mine

b

chiefly British : elevator sense 1b

c

: an apparatus for raising an automobile (as for repair)

d

: ski lift

11

a

: an elevating influence

b

: an elevation of the spirit

12

a

: the component of the total aerodynamic force acting on an airplane or airfoil that is perpendicular to the relative wind and that for an airplane constitutes the upward force that opposes the pull of gravity

b

: an updraft that can be used to increase altitude (as of a sailplane)

13

: an organized movement of people, equipment, or supplies by some form of transportation

especially : airlift

14

: plastic surgery on a part of the body typically to improve a drooping or sagging appearance especially by reducing excess skin and fat

a neck lift

lift

3 of 3

noun (2)

chiefly Scotland

: heavens, sky

Synonyms

Verb

• boost
• crane
• elevate
• heave
• heft
• heighten
• hike
• hoist
• jack (up)
• perk (up)
• pick up
• raise
• take up
• up
• uphold
• uplift
• upraise

Noun (1)

• abetment
• aid
• assist
• assistance
• backing
• boost
• hand
• help
• helping hand
• leg up
• support

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

Verb

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

Verb

The flagship program, though, was men’s basketball, which immeasurably lifted the school’s profile from four games against San Diego State at Viejas Arena since 2013, including one last December just eight months after the Aztecs played for the NCAA Division I national championship. —Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Apr. 2024

In the downstairs bar, spirits often lift money off the bar and raise glasses into the air. —The Arizona Republic, 27 Apr. 2024

Alphabet yesterday beat analysts’ estimates with its results, lifting the company’s market cap above $2 trillion. —Jason Del Rey, Fortune, 26 Apr. 2024

The hoodie is part of the Supreme canon, an embodiment of its middle-finger approach to appropriation, with its use of the signature Futura font lifted from Barbara Kruger; and its flirtation with hip-hop radicalism — the phrase comes from a Boogie Down Productions song. —Jon Caramanica, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2024

Shoppers are purchasing name-brand beauty products again, and that’s lifting sales at consumer goods company Unilever. —Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 26 Apr. 2024

His two-run, ninth-inning homer Monday off Victor González lifted the A’s to a 2-0 win. —Mercury News Staff and Wire Reports, The Mercury News, 25 Apr. 2024

Slowly rise onto the balls of your feet, lifting your heels off the ground. —Alyssa Hui, Verywell Health, 25 Apr. 2024

Suleman exercises regularly to relieve her stress and chronic pain, opting for weight lifting three to four times per week along with four to five days of cardio workouts. —Jessica Sager, Peoplemag, 24 Apr. 2024

Noun

Another popular procedure that claims to have similar results to a mini facelift is the thread lift, also called a lunchtime lift because it can be done in just about an hour. —Kara Nesvig, Allure, 17 Apr. 2024

And in any case, establishing a new category of intellectual property alongside copyrights, patents and trademarks will be a very heavy legislative lift, given the many stakeholders in the issue and with courts and regulatory agencies still sifting through whether existing laws already apply. —Paul Sweeting, Variety, 17 Apr. 2024

Wisk’s design employs rotors that operate vertically for lift and then tilt horizontally for thrust. —Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024

For such a heavy emotional lift, the album is an easygoing listen, perfect for a Sunday-afternoon drive. —Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2024

The correspondence shows abiding by the law was a heavy lift for district employees over a short period of time, and the vagueness of the bill left many educators confused about what materials were permitted. —Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 2024

While another late-season storm hits the Lake Tahoe and Sacramento area in California, dramatic video shows chairs on a lift in another part of the world — at Matterhorn Ski Paradise, in Cervinia, Italy — being tossed about by high wind gusts of 62 mph on Thursday. —David Caraccio, Sacramento Bee, 30 Mar. 2024

Then the rock lifts, and the creepy crawlies are met with the wide eyes of a researcher. —Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2024

Strong winds swing chair lifts at ski resort in Italy Sudden wind gusts struck the Cervino Ski Paradise in Breuil-Cervinia, Italy, last week while some skiers were still riding the chair lift. —Stephen Sorace, Fox News, 1 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

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

Noun (2)

Middle English, from Old English lyft

First Known Use

Verb

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

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

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

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