facelift

noun

face·​lift ˈfās-ˌlift 

variants or face lift or face-lift

plural facelifts or face lifts or face-lifts

1

: plastic surgery on the face and neck to remove or reduce signs of aging (such as wrinkles or sagging skin)

[Robert] Redford's publicist of 33 years, Lois Smith, denies her client has had any sort of facelift, eye job or chemical peel. "He's never, never, never had cosmetic surgery," she says.

—People Weekly

Many face lifts last between five and 10 years, but the procedure can cause hematomas, bleeding and nerve damage …

—Mary Murphy

Technically, a face-lift "lifts" both the face and the neck, and many plastic surgeons believe the neck shows the more dramatic improvement.

—Vogue

2

: an alteration, restoration, or restyling (as of a building) intended especially to modernize

The facelift was intended to return the 95-year-old hall's acclaimed acoustics to original purity …

—US News & World Report

Over time, the building was given a $15 million face lift, which created a new entrance on Fifth Avenue, subdued but plush interiors and escalators.

—Carrie Donovan

All 48 models from kids bikes to $3,000 racing bikes were redesigned … and each got a color and graphics face-lift.

—Laura Loro

facelift transitive verb

or face-lift or less commonly face lift

facelifted or face-lifted also face lifted; facelifting or face-lifting also face lifting; facelifts or face-lifts also face lifts

… said she would like to add more parking and continue to work on facelifting the venue.

—Dean Manning

… a former vaudeville palace recently face-lifted into a glittering performing arts center.

—Priit Vesilind

Examples of facelift in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The 59th and 60th Street Metra station is set for a nearly $75 million facelift, which reportedly won’t finish until 2030. —A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 26 Feb. 2026

More than just a facelift, the renovations are part of a $26 million facilities improvement project that will modernize the campus, improve safety and accessibility and create spaces students feel proud of and want to share. —Santa Ana College, Oc Register, 25 Feb. 2026

The Chrysler Pacifica minivan has been around in its current shape for about a decade, with one significant facelift in 2021. —Andrew P. Collins, The Drive, 25 Feb. 2026

The property was in need of a definite facelift, as the end goal was to rent it out to Parisian students. —Nicolas Milon, Architectural Digest, 24 Feb. 2026

And as Major League Soccer’s 2026 season approaches, Sporting Kansas City’s facelift is fully underway. —Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 20 Feb. 2026

Iconic Phoenix hotels got major facelifts Several swanky metro Phoenix hotels underwent major renovations for 2026. —Lorenzino Estrada, AZCentral.com, 17 Feb. 2026

The league underwent a bit of a facelift during its offseason, with four new teams – the Kings, Columbus Aviators, Houston Gamblers and Orlando Storm – joining the league. —Jim Reineking, USA Today, 16 Feb. 2026

While deep plane facelifts sweep Hollywood, there’s also a boom in non- and minimally-invasive treatments promising tighter, younger looking skin, sharper contours and a revitalized appearance, without the downtime required after going under the knife. —Elycia Rubin, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1926, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for facelift

• adrift
• airlift
• festschrift
• forklift
• gearshift
• makeshift
• redshift
• sealift
• snowdrift
• spendthrift
• clift
• drift

Kids Definition

face-lift

noun

ˈfā-ˌslift

1

: plastic surgery on the face and neck to remove defects and imperfections (as wrinkles or sagging skin)

2

: an alteration, restoration, or remodeling (as of a building) intended especially to make more modern

face-lift verb

Medical Definition

facelift

noun

face·​lift

variants or face lift or face-lift

ˈfā-ˌslift 

: plastic surgery on the face and neck to remove or reduce signs of aging (such as wrinkles or sagging skin)

called also rhytidectomy

facelift transitive verb

or face-lift also face lift