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.
A former executive went public with claims that the bank wasn’t adhering to lofty goals on ESG, but missed out on a program that pays whistleblowers.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 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
Not even particularly good, not by his lofty standards.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026
They were already down 15% for the year, dragged down by worries about whether Spotify would be able to grow its margins fast enough to justify a lofty valuation.
From Barron's • Apr. 28, 2026
Love stirred in the hearts of the young Brahmins' daughters when Siddhartha walked through the streets of the town, with his lofty brow, his king-like eyes and his slim figure.
From "Siddhartha" by Hermann Hesse
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.
