skyscraper

American  

[skahy-skrey-per] / ˈskaɪˌskreɪ pər /

noun

• skyscrapers
  plural

1. a relatively tall building of many stories, especially one for office or commercial use.

2. Architecture. a building of exceptional height completely supported by a framework, as of girders, from which the walls are suspended, as opposed to a building supported by load-bearing walls.

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skyscraper British  

/ ˈskaɪˌskreɪpə /

noun

1. a very tall multistorey building

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• skyscrapers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of skyscraper

First recorded in 1785–95; sky + scraper

Explanation

A skyscraper is a very tall building, like New York City's Empire State Building, which held the title of "World's Tallest Building" for many years. You're most likely to see a skyscraper in a large city like New York or Hong Kong. You can spot the tourists in these cities because they are often gazing up at the tops of the skyscrapers. The designation of a building as a skyscraper was originally an Americanism, but the earliest recorded use of skyscraper was for a triangular sail set topmost on a square-rigged ship, and at other times in the past the word was used to designate a very tall man and a high-flying bird, among other things.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

skyscraper skyscrapers

Beneath the shadows of indigo-streaked clouds, a young woman strolls through a fog-covered city, stopping at the base of a skyscraper.

From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2026

Some ended up financing a boxy red skyscraper in downtown Tirana, Albania’s capital, and coastal villas, prosecutors said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026

Construction on the skyscraper halted after its Hong Kong-based developer Goldin Properties ran into financial trouble following the 2015 Chinese stock market crash.

From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026

But shortly after the crash last Friday, even unrelated photos and memes of the skyscraper, were taken down from Chinese social media platforms.

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026

Sitting on the floor with a fake skyscraper, none of us says anything about sitting in Ben’s room, about terrorists or tears.

From "Towers Falling" by Jewell Parker Rhodes

"If a galaxy were a city, the brightest stars would be the skyscrapers that immediately catch your eye from afar," said lead author Chloe Cheng, a recent doctoral graduate of Leiden University.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 22, 2026

Rows of eerily vacant skyscrapers loom over quiet streets.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

But South Korea's heatwave has made it uninhabitable, forcing him to seek refuge under a makeshift tarp just a stone’s throw from Gangnam’s gleaming skyscrapers, where the wealthy remain cool in their aloof abodes.

From Barron's ● Aug. 4, 2026

Early in 2024, taggers began turning Oceanwide Plaza’s skyscrapers into canvases for graffiti.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026

But I was in no way prepared for the massive skyscrapers, gorgeous beachside drives, and awesome monuments I saw on our initial trip in the country.

From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore

Related Words

• high-rise