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.
It wasn’t without faults—primarily its outrageous money grabbing, from the $5,000 nosebleeds to seven figure hospitality “experiences”—but it was largely an uplifting, five-week love bombing from Earth’s most popular sport.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
As the show’s host, Queen Latifah dispensed uplifting thoughts about American idealism throughout the evening but also got a slot of her own to do her classic “U.N.I.T.Y.” with help from a rambunctious drum line.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 5, 2026
Steven said the experience of visiting the Taff Ely food bank was "uplifting" because people were very welcoming.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
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
It’s not exactly uplifting, but it’s all I’ve got.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
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.
