uplift

1 of 2

verb

up·​lift (ˌ)əp-ˈlift 

uplifted; uplifting; uplifts

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

uplift

2 of 2

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

Synonyms

Verb

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

Examples of uplift in a Sentence

Verb

music that uplifts the soul

geologic forces that uplifted the mountains

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Leadership mindset – Seeing yourself not only as a contributor but as someone who uplifts and advances others. —Kathy Caprino, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025

But Halladay and Sabathia were first-ballot Hall of Famers who burned to uplift their teams, embracing everything an ace should be. —Jayson Stark, New York Times, 19 June 2025

Noun

The Alaskan mountain known as Denali was created by millions of years of geologic uplift. —Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 17 June 2025

Whether the playwright, Lorraine Hansberry, intended the reading or not, the 1959 play is an icon of the pervasive and flattening ideal of Black uplift. —Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 14 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

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

Noun

circa 1845, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

uplift

1 of 2 verb

up·​lift (ˌ)əp-ˈlift 

1

: to lift up : elevate

2

: to improve the spiritual, mental, or social condition of

uplift

2 of 2 noun

up·​lift ˈəp-ˌlift 

1

: an act, process, or result of uplifting

especially : the uplifting of a part of the earth's surface

2

: moral or social improvement or a movement to make such improvement