dead lift

American  

noun

1. a direct lifting without any mechanical assistance.

2. a situation that requires all one's strength or ingenuity.

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Etymology

Origin of dead lift

First recorded in 1545–55

Example Sentences

Unless James can juke Father Time and pull off another odds-defying dead lift for the ages.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

I have friends who choke down Greek yogurt by the bucketful, who eat handfuls of grilled chicken at a time, who dead lift their own body weight.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

There, she hoisted four 100- to 150-pound sandbags onto her shoulders after completing six reps of a 315-pound dead lift.

From Salon • Jul. 15, 2024

Those six are a dead lift, power throw, pushups, plank, run and a combination sprint/drag/carry.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 23, 2022

A good hand at a dead lift; a good hand upon an emergency.

From 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue by Grose, Francis