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

Give it a facelift by refreshing the grout and using interesting paint colors nearby. —Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 June 2026

After months of back-and-forth, O'Donnell had a facelift in January. —Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 9 June 2026

Rosie O'Donnell is opening up about her decision to get a facelift. —Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 8 June 2026

The store’s opening is part of a $10 million facelift that will transform the center’s look over the next 24 months, according to LJJ. —Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 June 2026

But when her mother, Carol Bremer, died following a facelift in July 2010 at age 59, Alexis' understanding of beauty, aging and self-worth changed forever. —Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 7 June 2026

Antiques were restored and put in prominent places, rooms and suites were upgraded with new furnishings and fixtures, the beloved Café Romano got a facelift, and the energy infrastructure was upgraded, rendering the hotel more sustainable and making space for a new rooftop bar. —Laura Itzkowitz, Robb Report, 4 June 2026

The Barkley Dam is undergoing a similar facelift, with its four five-blade turbines being replaced with six-blade turbines, at approximately $80 million. —D. Hunter Reardon, USA Today, 3 June 2026

Jacques Garcia, the man behind Hotel Costes, who gave La Mamounia an extensive facelift in 2009, is a design sensation. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 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