uplift
Americanverb (used with object)
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to lift up; raise; elevate.
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to improve socially, culturally, morally, or the like.
to uplift downtrodden and deprived peoples.
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to exalt emotionally or spiritually.
verb (used without object)
noun
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an act of lifting up or raising; elevation.
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the process or work of improving, as socially, intellectually, or morally.
-
emotional or spiritual exaltation.
- Synonyms:
- enhancement, betterment, enrichment
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a brassiere.
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Geology. an upheaval.
verb
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to raise; elevate; lift up
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to raise morally, spiritually, culturally, etc
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to collect (a passenger, parcel, etc); pick up
noun
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the act, process, or result of lifting up
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the act or process of bettering moral, social or cultural conditions, etc
-
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a brassiere for lifting and supporting the breasts
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( as modifier )
an uplift bra
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the process or result of land being raised to a higher level, as during a period of mountain building
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has upliftedperfect 3rd person singular
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have upliftedperfect
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are upliftingprogressive
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have been upliftingperfect progressive
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am upliftingprogressive 1st person singular
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has been upliftingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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is upliftingprogressive 3rd person singular
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upliftingparticiple
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upliftssingular 3rd person
Past
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had upliftedperfect
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had been upliftingperfect progressive
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upliftedparticiple
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were upliftingprogressive plural
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upliftedsimple
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was upliftingprogressive singular
Future
Etymology
Origin of uplift
First recorded in 1300–50, uplift is from the Middle English word upliften. See up-, lift
Vocabulary lists containing uplift
Plate Tectonics - Middle School
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Earth Science - Middle School
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Earth Science - High School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
That uplift isn’t being factored into the current multiple on the stock, they say.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026
The prime minister described the agreement as providing a "generational uplift" in the relationship with Poland.
From BBC • May 27, 2026
It provides uplift and follows an emotional arc.
From MarketWatch • May 19, 2026
The study relied on thermal history models, which help scientists trace how rocks cooled as they moved closer to Earth's surface during periods of mountain uplift and erosion.
From Science Daily • May 18, 2026
He was as cynical as I was regarding uplift and hope, and we were proud of having escaped what we called the “childhood disease of metaphysical fear.”
From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
