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.
The council's relationship with property developers has been under scrutiny since the introduction of Operation Aloft, an investigation into allegations of fraud, bribery and corruption linked to building and development contracts in the city.
From BBC • Aug. 15, 2024
A real estate affiliate of Blackstone Group owns Fairfield Inn & Suites and Aloft hotels in El Segundo.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 22, 2023
More Aloft hotels, which are geared toward travelers who enjoy music and a social scene, are set to open this year, including Aloft New York Chelsea and Aloft Indianapolis Downtown.
From New York Times • May 15, 2023
They have 8,100 hotels under 30 brands, from Aloft to Ritz-Carlton.
From Washington Post • Sep. 20, 2022
Aloft, floating free beneath the moist, gleaming membrane of bright blue sky, is the rising earth, the only exuberant thing in this part of the cosmos.
From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas
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.
