dead lift

noun

1. a direct lifting without any mechanical assistance.
2. a situation that requires all one's strength or ingenuity.

Word History and Origins

Origin of dead lift¹

First recorded in 1545–55

Example Sentences

I would avoid exercises that place strain on the lower back, like a bent-over row or dead lift.

From Washington Post

No help-giving virtue had gone out from this household in the last year; it had all been a dead lift.

From Project Gutenberg

The dead lift of the discipline of the mind is liable to be a deadening process.

From Project Gutenberg

But the first dead lift of the thing is too much for them; and they haven't enough financial experience.

From Project Gutenberg

He helps the actors on the stage at a dead lift, and enables them to go forward with spirit and propriety.

From Project Gutenberg

We know that faith is not a dead-lift of the brain, a supreme effort either for God or for ourselves.

From Project Gutenberg