uplift

verb up·lift \ (ˌ)əp-ˈlift \

Updated on: 22 Apr 2018

transitive verb

1 : to lift up : elevate; especially : to cause (a portion of the earth's surface) to rise above adjacent areas

2 : to improve the spiritual, social, or intellectual condition of

intransitive verb

: rise

—

uplifter

noun

See uplift defined for English-language learners

See uplift defined for kids

Examples of uplift in a Sentence

music that uplifts the soul
geologic forces that uplifted the mountains

Recent Examples of uplift from the Web

These young girls need to be uplifted as much as possible.

— teryn payne, Allure, "Hairstylist Creates Beads-and-Braids Looks to Help Young Girls Embrace Their Curls and Kinks," 5 Apr. 2018
To appreciate how Real & Rosemary uplifts Southern downhome cooking, try the side dish Humble Green Peas.

— eric velasco, AL.com, "Have you tried Homewood's favorite healthy eatery?," 5 Apr. 2018
The unique architecture of the building incorporates vaulted ceilings, skylights and large full panel windows that allow natural light to penetrate and uplift the spirit.

— 'sam' boyer/special to cleveland.com, cleveland.com, "Free program covers the history of medications," 1 Apr. 2018
In 2015, the couple launched Courage MKE, a nonprofit with a mission to uplift LGBTQ youth.

— NBC News, "Gay couple to open Wisconsin's first group home for LGBTQ youth," 27 Mar. 2018
Musical artist Chava Mirel's recent performance at Temple Beth Orr in Coral Springs moved, uplifted and healed a community still reeling from the shooting tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.

— sergio carmona, Jewish Journal, "Synagogue hosts Marjory Stoneman Douglas benefit concert," 9 Mar. 2018
In some cultures, funerals are uplifting instead of sad.

— josh linkner, Detroit Free Press, "Linkner: More funerals are needed in the business world," 10 Feb. 2018
For the past 43 years, this has continued to be a day when people around the world pause to appreciate and uplift the powerful women in their lives.

— luria freeman, EW.com, "Celebrities celebrate International Women's Day," 8 Mar. 2018
Locke grew up determined to demonstrate his worth not by uplifting those less fortunate, but by cultivating a reverence for the arts.

— michael p. jeffries, New York Times, "The Philosopher Who Believed That Art Was Key to Black Liberation," 22 Feb. 2018

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

First Known Use of uplift

14th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

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uplift Synonyms

uplift

noun up·lift \ ˈəp-ˌlift \

1 : an act, process, result, or cause of uplifting: such as

a (1) : the uplifting of a part of the earth's surface

(2) : an uplifted mass of land

b : a bettering of a condition especially spiritually, socially, or intellectually

c (1) : influences intended to uplift

(2) : a social movement to improve especially morally or culturally

2 : a brassiere designed to hold the breasts up

See uplift defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of uplift from the Web

Akin to Facebook, the early days of Twitter and Instagram were defined by moments of community and what felt like idyllic uplift.

— jason parham, WIRED, "Facebook and the Price of Tech Utopia," 10 Apr. 2018
For conservative policy experts to define an agenda of working-class uplift, not an agenda of white resentment — which will consign Republicans to moral squalor and (eventually) to electoral irrelevance.

— michael gerson, Anchorage Daily News, "Trumpism can’t be treated as a normal political moment," 1 Apr. 2018
His sense of promise, his faith that Americans could complete the unfinished business of truth-telling, justice-seeking and uplift, helped lead me to journalism.

— tyrone beason, The Seattle Times, "A reporter feels the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr.’s promised land on a Mexican mountaintop," 31 Mar. 2018
Her confident and direct style uplifts — the music in her sentences, her deep and varied intelligence.

— lori soderlind, New York Times, "For the Love of a Dog," 9 Mar. 2018
Luleå plans to spend $200 million dredging the harbor over the next five years just to keep up with the uplift.

— ken jennings, Condé Nast Traveler, "On the Baltic Coast of Sweden and Finland, Sea Levels Are...Falling?," 12 Mar. 2018
But at this point in the franchise’s life, the show has to acknowledge itself as a machine designed for uplift.

— spencer kornhaber, The Atlantic, "The Zombie Cheer of the Revived American Idol," 12 Mar. 2018
The pig is the company, the strong winds are government subsidies, and the danger is that favorable policies won’t always be there to provide uplift.

— jie ma, Bloomberg.com, "The Breakneck Rise of China’s Colossus of Electric-Car Batteries," 1 Feb. 2018
Simultaneously, the lack of significant Surface Laptop uplift suggests that the brand's appeal as a straightforward premium brand is limited.

— peter bright, Ars Technica, "Microsoft 2Q18: Trump tax hit turns strong quarter into $6.3B loss," 1 Feb. 2018

First Known Use of uplift

circa 1845

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Other Geology Terms

anthracite, boulder, cwm, erratic, igneous, intrusive, mesa, sedimentary, silt, swale

UPLIFT Defined for English Language Learners

uplift

verb

: to make (someone) happy or hopeful
: to lift (something) up : to raise (something) to a higher position

uplift

noun

: an increase in amount or number
: an increase in happiness or hopefulness

UPLIFT Defined for Kids

uplift

verb up·lift \ ˌəp-ˈlift \

uplifted; uplifting

1 : to lift up

2 : to make feel happy or hopeful

The music uplifted us.

uplift

noun up·lift \ ˈəp-ˌlift \

: an increase in happiness or hopefulness

Learn More about uplift

See words that rhyme with uplift Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for uplift Spanish Central: Translation of uplift Nglish: Translation of uplift for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about uplift

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uplift

Recent Examples of uplift from the Web

First Known Use of uplift

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UPLIFT Defined for English Language Learners

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