facelift

American  

[feys-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

Etymology

Origin of facelift

An Americanism dating back to 1920–25

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

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

It comes as Swansea council itself has announced a £20m UK government-funded facelift for its Civic Centre, with proposals for an aquarium, lido, bars and shops.

From BBC ● Mar. 19, 2026

In July, the cost of the Fed's facelift of its 88-year-old Washington headquarters and a neighboring building was up by $600 million from an initial $1.9 billion estimate.

From Barron's ● Jan. 12, 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

On the other hand, if you want to emphasize that several things about Phyllis show her age, you should choose plurals for both verbs: What give away Phyllis's age are the knees and the facelift.

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

Experts say it is important to do your research and choose a plastic surgeon who specialises in facelifts.

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