facelift
Americannoun
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plastic surgery on the face for elevating sagging tissues and eliminating wrinkles and other signs of age; rhytidectomy.
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a renovation or restyling, as of a room or building, intended to give an attractive, more up-to-date appearance.
verb (used with object)
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to perform a surgical facelift upon.
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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.
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
USAir’s betrayal was a particular nightmare given how the airport’s facelift had been funded.
From Slate • Nov. 24, 2025
The 4,010-guest vessel recently underwent a facelift to celebrate its seventh birthday.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 21, 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
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
