lofty
Americanadjective
-
extending high in the air; of imposing height; towering.
lofty mountains.
- Synonyms:
- elevated
-
exalted in rank, dignity, or character; eminent.
- Antonyms:
- lowly
-
elevated in style, tone, or sentiment, as writings or speech.
- Synonyms:
- sublime
-
arrogantly or condescendingly superior in manner; haughty.
to treat someone in a lofty manner.
- Synonyms:
- supercilious
- Antonyms:
- humble
-
Nautical. noting a rig of a sailing ship having extraordinarily high masts.
-
(of fabric or yarn) thick and resilient.
adjective
-
of majestic or imposing height
-
exalted or noble in character or nature
-
haughty or supercilious
-
elevated, eminent, or superior
Related Words
See high.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of lofty
Explanation
Lofty is a good word for describing something that's high above the ground, or someone who acts like she's high above everyone else. Dating from the 15th century, lofty originally meant "exalted," or spiritually high, but soon came to mean physically high as well. A towering mountain can be called "lofty." So can someone who walks around with her nose in the air and speaks in a fake English accent. Even if she's only five-foot-two.
Vocabulary lists containing lofty
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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An "August" Assortment: Words Worthy of Honor
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"The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant
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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.
But he also sought his father’s affection and wanted to live up to his lofty expectations.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026
As the first-quarter earnings season rumbles on, those lofty expectations have looked justified so far: The pace of earnings growth reported by firms so far has dramatically surpassed analysts’ expectations.
From MarketWatch • May 3, 2026
Investors have lofty expectations for Tesla’s plans to populate the world with “physical AI” applications such as robo-taxis and robots.
From Barron's • May 1, 2026
Not even particularly good, not by his lofty standards.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026
Howard University represented a singular opportunity for Dorothy, in line with the AME scholarship committee’s lofty expectations.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
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.
