lofty
Americanadjective
-
loftier,
comparative
-
loftiest
superlative
-
extending high in the air; of imposing height; towering.
lofty mountains.
- Synonyms:
- elevated
-
exalted in rank, dignity, or character; eminent.
- Antonyms:
- lowly
-
elevated in style, tone, or sentiment, as writings or speech.
- Synonyms:
- sublime
-
arrogantly or condescendingly superior in manner; haughty.
to treat someone in a lofty manner.
- Synonyms:
- supercilious
- Antonyms:
- humble
-
Nautical. noting a rig of a sailing ship having extraordinarily high masts.
-
(of fabric or yarn) thick and resilient.
adjective
-
of majestic or imposing height
-
exalted or noble in character or nature
-
haughty or supercilious
-
elevated, eminent, or superior
Synonym Usage
See high.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of lofty
Explanation
Lofty is a good word for describing something that's high above the ground, or someone who acts like she's high above everyone else. Dating from the 15th century, lofty originally meant "exalted," or spiritually high, but soon came to mean physically high as well. A towering mountain can be called "lofty." So can someone who walks around with her nose in the air and speaks in a fake English accent. Even if she's only five-foot-two.
Vocabulary lists containing lofty
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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An "August" Assortment: Words Worthy of Honor
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"The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant
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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.
See Examples For:
Even 34% quarterly revenue growth could not meet investors’ lofty expectations of AI-driven demand growth for the company’s cybersecurity software.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
Thoughts on homeownership: “I don’t think people in my age group have lofty expectations. We’re just trying to get what we can get,” Daniel Bolin said.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026
The past half-decade of lofty A.I. statements has come without many consequences, because when they’ve been wrong, they’ve been wrong in ways that seem good for society.
From Slate ● Sep. 1, 2026
That suggests that even if Anthropic and OpenAI IPOs live up to Wall Street’s lofty expectations, these companies will be long dealing with risky political and regulatory headaches atypical for nascent industries.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026
“In the Bible,” he said one day as he was helping elderly Sister Fenella in the lofty kitchen, “you know it says God created the world in six days?”
From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman
France, of course, have loftier ambitions this summer and are among the favourites to win the tournament.
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
An uptick in business air travel is fueling loftier hopes for United Airlines, which is slated to report its holiday-quarter results this week.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 19, 2026
If he fixes the Rockies, he will have achieved something loftier than the Rocky Mountains themselves—and become the envy of his peers forever.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 12, 2025
Clearly, his trajectory had him on a loftier path than Wilmington.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 24, 2025
Of loftier mould these two were made: reverend and wise.
From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien
While Halma’s guidance clears the consensus bar, it might fall short of the loftiest expectations, analysts at Jefferies wrote in a note to clients.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026
US gross domestic product in the third quarter came in at 4.3 percent on an annualized basis, easily topping expectations and the loftiest growth in two years.
From Barron's ● Dec. 23, 2025
Ascending to football's loftiest heights challenges the senses, and Girona's surefootenedness at this level is already being rigorously tested.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2024
The Bulldogs, you see, are chasing the loftiest of goals.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 14, 2022
Most of all, they loved the fact that each of them was as important to her as the loftiest church leader or city mayor.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
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.
