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

Steel beams holding up the skyscraper are exposed in various corners of residential units - an homage to what made the original building so innovative.

From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026

The party was held at the Patriot’s Bar, a flag-filled watering hole at JPMorgan’s new skyscraper where Dimon has been hosting parties and social gatherings.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

A luxury skyscraper some 200 metres high -– the tallest building ever constructed in Athens –- has already been built and is visible from the city centre.

From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026

Overhead, my photo appears, covering the entire side of a skyscraper.

From "Warcross" by Marie Lu

Gilbert plans to take down two buildings in Detroit’s Renaissance Center, the group of seven interconnected skyscrapers that has defined the skyline since the 1970s.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 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

The main criticism since Craig became council leader has been around the lack of affordable housing at a time when skyscrapers have been built in the city centre.

From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026

After the test run, Petty concluded that it will take less than 90 days to clean the three skyscrapers that stick out on the city skyline over Crypto.com Arena and the Harbor Freeway.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

“What was scariest was to look up at the skyscrapers all around,” one witness said.

From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland

Related Words

• high-rise