- present participle of uplift.
uplifting
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of uplifting
Explanation
When you stand on a beach and admire the uplifting of a kite into the blue sky, you're watching it move up. Watching that kite rise might be an uplifting, or moving, experience. Use the noun uplifting to describe the upward movement of something. You could describe the uplifting of a hot air balloon on a sunny day, or the uplifting of a girl's long hair in the wind. The action of something rising is an uplifting. A more common way to use the word is as an adjective describing something that figuratively lifts one's spirits or mood.
Vocabulary lists containing uplifting
Seedfolks
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"The Censors" by Luisa Valenzuela
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"The Americans: Reconstruction to the 21st Century," Vocabulary from Chapter 15
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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.
On Friday, the city of L.A. honored the series’ decade-long run and legacy of uplifting bolero music by declaring Aug.1 “Día del Bolero.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 26, 2026
EW&F is emblematic of Black identity, uplifting Black joy through a message of infinite possibility and affirmation, “feeding into little souls like mine,” says Michelle Obama.
From Salon • Jun. 7, 2026
This reflects an uplifting democratic impulse based in economics as well as philosophy.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026
He incorporated the colorful reference photographs into the final piece after Metro staff encouraged him to make the piece more uplifting.
From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026
Counterpoint, to Bach, was the ultimate set of laws in music; obeying these laws was for him something beautiful, uplifting and reassuring.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
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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.