lofty

adjective

\ ˈlȯf-tē

loftier; loftiest

Definition of lofty

1a : elevated in character and spirit : noble lofty ideals

b : elevated in status : superior the less lofty customers of the bar

2 : having a haughty overbearing manner : supercilious She showed a lofty disregard for their objections.

3a : rising to a great height : impressively high lofty mountains

b : remote, esoteric basic precepts are not lofty abstractions far removed from matters of daily living— D. D. Eisenhower

4 : having full-bodied, firm, and resilient textile fibers lofty flannel

Other Words from lofty Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about lofty

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Synonyms & Antonyms for lofty

Synonyms

altitudinous, high, tall, towering

Antonyms

low, low-lying, short, squat

Choose the Right Synonym for lofty

high, tall, lofty mean above the average in height. high implies marked extension upward and is applied chiefly to things which rise from a base or foundation or are placed at a conspicuous height above a lower level. a high hill a high ceiling tall applies to what grows or rises high by comparison with others of its kind and usually implies relative narrowness. a tall thin man lofty suggests great or imposing altitude. lofty mountain peaks

Examples of lofty in a Sentence

He set lofty goals for himself as a teacher. She showed a lofty disregard for their objections.

Recent Examples on the Web

Intel officials acknowledged the extreme difficulty of this lofty goal. — Gordon Mah Ung, PCWorld, "Intel hopes to clean up toxic speech in game chat with AI and machine learning," 20 Mar. 2019 But for all of the lofty talk and ambitious goals, for all of the triumphs and setbacks, SpaceX has still yet to ever fly a single human being. — Christian Davenport, The Seattle Times, "Inside SpaceX, the Willy Wonka-like rocket factory that eventually could send astronauts to space," 14 Aug. 2018 The festival starts at 1 p.m. and lasts until 4 p.m. Tickets - which start at a lofty $50 - get you unlimited food samples, drink tickets and a vote for the People's Choice Best Mac and Cheese. — Heather Leighton, Houston Chronicle, "These are the best places for mac and cheese in Houston, according to reviews," 3 Apr. 2018 In practice, presidents have often fallen short of the lofty rhetoric that has long defined America's self-conception. — Eli Stokols, latimes.com, "Trump voices admiration and envy of Kim Jong Un, underscoring his respect for autocrats," 15 June 2018 Political polarization is a reality, one that has to be worked with rather than wished away with lofty rhetoric about building consensus. — Jeet Heer, The New Republic, "How Democrats Can Over-Promise Like Trump," 11 May 2018 So America's nuclear stockpile—and the airplanes, submarines and missiles that deliver them—will remain on alert despite any good intentions or lofty rhetoric. — Joe Pappalardo, Popular Mechanics, "Meet the Airmen Who Watch Over America's Nukes—And Await the Unthinkable," 23 Mar. 2011 While Deepak Ahuja’s motives are unknown, the fact that Tesla is trying to fund its lofty ambitions on the cheap certainly may have contributed to workplace stress. — Charley Grant, WSJ, "Tesla: Champagne Dreams on a Six-Pack Budget," 31 Jan. 2019 Macron's visit came as France's high-profile environment minister Nicolas Hulot unexpectedly announced his resignation live on national radio Tuesday, dealing a blow to the French president's lofty green ambitions. — Fox News, "France's Macron talks with Danes about European defense," 28 Aug. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lofty.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.