aloft
Americanadverb
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high up; far above the ground.
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Nautical.
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on the masts; in the rigging; overhead.
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(on a square-rigged sailing ship) in the upper rigging, specifically, on or above the lower yards (opposed to alow).
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in or into the air.
preposition
adverb
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in or into a high or higher place; up above
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nautical in or into the rigging of a vessel
Etymology
Origin of aloft
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English o loft, from Old Norse ā lopt “in the air”; equivalent to a- 1 + loft
Explanation
Something up in the air or really high is aloft. Aloft has a soft, floaty sound to it, and it's a great word for talking about flying birds, airborne ballet dancers, and soaring spitballs. Things that are above or overhead are aloft, and they can be flying free or lifted up. Frisbees are aloft when they cut through the air, and your hands are aloft when you hold them high to catch a Frisbee. Some things are stationary, or set in place, and aloft, like tree houses and birds' nests. You might feel suspended in time as you catch air on your bike, aloft over the ground — until you hit pavement reality three seconds later.
Vocabulary lists containing aloft
A Long Walk to Water
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"Paul Revere's Ride" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
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"The Odyssey," Vocabulary from Part 1 of the epic poem
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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.
"Guard, guard, strength, strength, for my people, for my land," the guards chanted as they held their traditional wooden staffs aloft during the gathering in Caloto in violence-plagued Cauca department.
From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026
Year: 2023 Compiled by: Nitish Pahwa Of note: The disgraced ex-mayor is still holding various objects aloft.
From Slate ● Oct. 7, 2026
She held her arms aloft and pointed to the sky in celebration after emulating Asher-Smith's 100m-200m European double in 2018.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
It takes more than three hours to drive from one end to the other, less with sirens flashing or aloft on police aircraft.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
Harry had not expected this, but cleared his throat and said loudly, wand aloft, “Accio Horcrux!”
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
