facelift

American  

[fays-lift] / ˈfeɪsˌlɪft /

Or face-lift

noun

• facelifts
  plural

1. plastic surgery on the face for elevating sagging tissues and eliminating wrinkles and other signs of age; rhytidectomy.

2. a renovation or restyling, as of a room or building, intended to give an attractive, more up-to-date appearance.

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verb (used with object)

1. to perform a surgical facelift upon.

2. to renovate or restyle in order to give a fresher, more modern appearance.

   Our old offices have been facelifted with new furniture, rugs, and plants.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• facelifts
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of facelift

An Americanism dating back to 1920–25

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Explanation

A facelift is a surgical procedure that's meant to tighten the skin of the face in order to make a patient look younger. Wealthy people who hate their wrinkles may be tempted to have a facelift. Many older actors in Hollywood give into the temptation of having a facelift, instead of accepting the facial changes that naturally come with age. But facelifts are very expensive, can be dangerous, and frequently result in a strangely expressionless visage. A figurative facelift is anything that improves something's appearance: "While I was away, my sister gave my boring bedroom a facelift, painting the walls purple and replacing my old bedding."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

facelift facelifts

While golfer Thomas Snow, who is not part of the suit, conceded the course could use a "facelift", he thinks the president's description of the course is a "gross overstatement".

From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026

Known popularly as the "corn" because of its resemblance to the summer barbecue staple, the towering former communist-era barracks' facelift is already under scrutiny for potential misuse of the central European country's public funds.

From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026

I must say: There was one time when we lived in L.A. that I did do a facelift.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2026

The new “RHONY” lasted two seasons before being sent back to the factory for another facelift, and the series remains in limbo.

From Salon ● Dec. 2, 2025

Presumably Fran, and not her facelift, is like Alice.

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner

Among patients 66 and older, demand for breast augmentations, tummy tucks, arm lifts, thigh lifts and facelifts all increased by double digits.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 5, 2026

Gone are the days when facelifts were reserved for the ageing wealthy - now an increasing number of younger people are opting to go under the knife.

From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2025

Plastic surgeons are reporting a rise in facelifts and other procedures to correct so-called Ozempic face, the sagging skin that often accompanies rapid weight loss.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2024

Indeed, from teenagers repainting their bedrooms to impress peers during online classes to adults getting Zoom-inspired facelifts, many of us are becoming even more obsessed with how we look on screen.

From Salon ● Sep. 20, 2020

First set aside for the public in 1819 when its natural springs supplied water to the White House, Franklin Square has had many facelifts, including after the Civil War, in 1936 and in the mid-1970s.

From Washington Post ● Aug. 7, 2020

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