lofty

[ lawf-tee, lof- ]

/ ˈlɔf ti, ˈlɒf- /

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adjective, loft·i·er, loft·i·est.

extending high in the air; of imposing height; towering: lofty mountains.

exalted in rank, dignity, or character; eminent.

elevated in style, tone, or sentiment, as writings or speech.

arrogantly or condescendingly superior in manner; haughty: to treat someone in a lofty manner.

Nautical. noting a rig of a sailing ship having extraordinarily high masts.

(of fabric or yarn) thick and resilient.

Nearby words

loft building, lofting, lofting iron, lofting, hugh, loftsman, lofty, log, log book, log chip, log in, log jam

Origin of lofty

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at loft, -y¹

SYNONYMS FOR lofty

1 elevated. See high.

3 sublime.

4 supercilious.

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ANTONYMS FOR lofty

2 lowly.

4 humble.

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Related forms

loft·i·ly, adverbloft·i·ness, nouno·ver·loft·i·ly, adverbo·ver·loft·i·ness, noun

o·ver·loft·y, adjectiveun·loft·y, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for loftiest

The loftiest noses among the winemakers inhale the finest of scents from the tasting glass and proclaim another masterpiece.
Napa’s Earthquake Is Not The Only Thing Shaking The Vineyards|Clive Irving|August 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He was something of a dictator, though always cloaking his ambition in the loftiest of Christian terms.
The Devil and Woodrow Wilson: An Interview With Joyce Carol Oates|Jane Ciabattari|March 19, 2013|DAILY BEAST
We should have experienced this tempest among the loftiest summits of the Alps, if we had continued our excursion.
Celebrated Women Travellers of the Nineteenth Century|W. H. Davenport Adams
Its loftiest hopes, its deepest consolations are the offspring of clumsy jugglery and cheap prestidigitation!
Continental Monthly , Vol. 5, No. 6, June, 1864|Various

Beyond that again rose a range of mountain-peaks, and, stuck upon the loftiest peak of all, a tiny block-house.
The Lion and the Unicorn and Other Stories|Richard Harding Davis
High Mass in its own home, under the arches of a Gothic cathedral, appealed alike to the loftiest and humblest intelligence.
Evelyn Innes|George Moore
On both sides marriage brings into play some of the purest and loftiest feelings of which our nature is capable.
How to be Happy Though Married|E. J. Hardy.

British Dictionary definitions for loftiest

lofty

/ (ˈlɒftɪ) /

adjective loftier or loftiest

of majestic or imposing height

exalted or noble in character or nature

haughty or supercilious

elevated, eminent, or superior

Derived Formsloftily, adverbloftiness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for loftiest

lofty

adj.

"exalted, of high rank," early 15c.; also "with a high purpose," from loft + -y (2). From early 14c. as a surname. Literal sense of "high" is attested from 1580s. Related: Loftily; loftiness.

lofty

adjective, loft·i·er, loft·i·est.

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of lofty

Examples from the Web for loftiest

British Dictionary definitions for loftiest

lofty

adjective loftier or loftiest

Word Origin and History for loftiest

lofty