chairlift

American  

[chair-lift] / ˈtʃɛərˌlɪft /

Or chair lift

noun

1. a series of chairs suspended from an endless cable driven by motors, for conveying skiers up the side of a slope.

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chairlift British  

/ ˈtʃɛəˌlɪft /

noun

1. a series of chairs suspended from a power-driven cable for conveying people, esp skiers, up a mountain

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Etymology

Origin of chairlift

An Americanism dating back to 1935–40; chair + lift

Example Sentences

Nothing but dirt and dry, brown chaparral rolled beneath skis and snowboards dangling from a chairlift at Big Bear Mountain Resort on Friday, as forlorn adventure seekers joked they should rename the place “Big Bare.”

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 22, 2025

Though residences lack direct frontage on Lake Tahoe—typically the area’s priciest real estate—Martis Camp provides a Tom Fazio-designed golf course and a members-only chairlift to ski terrain at Northstar California Resort.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 16, 2025

An eyewitness, Jamie Pelegri, said on social media that it was the Canal Roya chairlift was the one that had collapsed.

From BBC • Jan. 18, 2025

Over a six-minute ride, the chairlift shepherds skiers to an area where they can access multiple runs to traverse 1,800 feet to the bottom.

From New York Times • Jan. 10, 2024

I managed to reach the top of the ski hill only to fall off the chairlift and lose all my gear.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 4, 2024