1
as in tall
extending to a great distance upward the ever-increasing lofty heights of the world's skyscrapers

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in arrogant
having a feeling of superiority that shows itself in an overbearing attitude she acts all lofty and superior just because she went to an Ivy League college

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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective lofty contrast with its synonyms?

The words high and tall are common synonyms of lofty. While all three words mean "above the average in height," lofty suggests great or imposing altitude.

lofty mountain peaks

When might high be a better fit than lofty?

The meanings of high and lofty largely overlap; however, 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

When can tall be used instead of lofty?

Although the words tall and lofty have much in common, tall applies to what grows or rises high by comparison with others of its kind and usually implies relative narrowness.

a tall thin man

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of lofty Nottingham Forest This time last year Forest fans were derided for their lofty, seemingly unfounded levels of optimism, following two years of fighting relegation. George Caulkin, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2025 But this is Massachusetts, and the roll call of lofty careers tarnished by scandal is a long one. Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 10 Aug. 2025 With lofty ambitions to manufacture 180,000 drones annually by 2028, Taiwan is also working to jumpstart its domestic industry, but with little success so far, Wired reported. Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 6 Aug. 2025 The hotel chain has its popular down-alternative fill pillows for sale, which have a hypoallergenic and lofty design. Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 1 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for lofty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lofty
Adjective
  • In a nod to the clock tower that stands tall over the downtown along Santa Fe Drive, the new market will be called Clock Tower Landing.
    Tammy Ljungblad, Kansas City Star, 18 Aug. 2025
  • Planting a shade tree or tall shrubs on the hottest side of your house can make a real difference in keeping your home cool in summer.
    Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 17 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Depicting Americans as arrogant, loud, boorish and demeaning of other cultures, the term has stuck and is still mentioned 60-plus years later.
    Jenny Peters, Oc Register, 4 Aug. 2025
  • The most radical overhaul of the tax code in our state’s history would require voter approval in November 2026, and that starts by portraying local governments as cartoonishly arrogant, bloated and unaccountable.
    Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 July 2025
Adjective
  • Next time, put your phone away, watch, and be proud.
    Janine Clements, Miami Herald, 19 Aug. 2025
  • This is a proud program with a history of success, but Southern Miss has fallen on hard times, with four losing records in the last five seasons.
    Antonio Morales, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • By sincerely comforting and relying on each other, their love becomes noble.
    Joan MacDonald, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
  • Like the book, the show is predicated on a classic Gilded Age bargain: American heiresses fill the dwindling coffers of the British peerage; correspondingly eligible dukes and lords bestow a noble title that papers over a nouveau-riche designation.
    Elle Carroll, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Two of the game’s most brilliant villains have matured into eloquent eulogists.
    Simon Vozick-Levinson, Rolling Stone, 30 June 2025
  • The gleaming veneer of artificial intelligence has captivated the world, with large language models producing eloquent responses that often seem indistinguishable from human thought.
    Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
Adjective
  • Paramount settled for $16 million, to go to Trump’s future presidential library, but Trump later claimed that the sum was higher, with an additional $16 million in PSAs and ads.
    Ted Johnson, Deadline, 7 Aug. 2025
  • For the last four-quarter timeframe, Fortinet’s Net Income reached $1.9 Bil — indicating a considerably high Net Income Margin of 30.6% (compared to 12.2% for S&P 500) Fortinet’s balance sheet appears very robust.
    Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Stories of haughty people scheming and plucky servants improving alarm clocks attract smaller audiences than, say, trench warfare.
    Elle Carroll, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2025
  • The haughty mother of Dr. William Kirkland (Jordan Donica) feigns surprise that Mrs. Scott and her daughter, Peggy (Denée Brown), are still attending the ball.
    Ben Travers, IndieWire, 11 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • By many measures, Alonso was already the greatest home run hitter in Mets history.
    Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 13 Aug. 2025
  • There is no greater disparity in the polls than the Sooners checking in at No. 18 in the AP and being the best of the rest among the coaches who voted.
    Tom Layberger, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Lofty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lofty. Accessed 23 Aug. 2025.

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