lofty
Americanadjective
-
loftier,
comparative
-
loftiest
superlative
-
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
Synonym Usage
See high.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
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
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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.
See Examples For:
But since the start of 2026, that dynamic has been flipped on its head, as investors have become increasingly unwilling to pay up for the lofty earnings growth that Wall Street analysts are expecting.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 1, 2026
Holmes was convicted of defrauding investors in her medical testing company Theranos after touting lofty promises she couldn't deliver.
From Barron's ● Oct. 25, 2026
Kiwanuka is a sonic artificer of the highest level, capturing lofty hope and languid melancholia in liquid waves that crash and surge around his voice.
From Salon ● Oct. 23, 2026
In the most downbeat scenario, investors sour on AI after it fails to live up to its lofty expectations or AI firms’ profits turn out much weaker than anticipated.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
The rider was robed all in black, and black was his lofty helm; yet this was no Ringwraith but a living man.
From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien
If Mamdani has so far shown a pragmatic streak in how he governs that can feel at odds with the loftier promises of his campaign, some friction with his most hard-line voters might be inevitable.
From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026
He appears to have switched from reporting the properties’ assessed values, which are set by the local county, to the loftier estimates of what they would fetch on the open market.
From Salon ● Sep. 5, 2026
An uptick in business air travel is fueling loftier hopes for United Airlines, which is slated to report its holiday-quarter results this week.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 19, 2026
Companies with the most tangible ties to AI energy demand are already trading at loftier multiples than tech giants.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 24, 2025
And its hills are loftier, craggier, more difficult and forbidding than Vermont’s.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
The course has since expanded to a rotating cast of Harvard’s loftiest faculty members, each of whom lead two lectures and a weekly seminar.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026
US gross domestic product in the third quarter came in at 4.3 percent on an annualized basis, easily topping expectations and the loftiest growth in two years.
From Barron's ● Dec. 23, 2025
Ascending to football's loftiest heights challenges the senses, and Girona's surefootenedness at this level is already being rigorously tested.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2024
And for the loftiest goal — a spot inside the top of the six spots in the West — the Lakers need to win.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 5, 2024
Most of all, they loved the fact that each of them was as important to her as the loftiest church leader or city mayor.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
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