lift

lift

synonyms, antonyms, definitions, examples & translations of lift in English

English Online Dictionary. What means lift‎? What does lift mean?

English

Pronunciation

  • enPR: lĭft, IPA(key): /lɪft/
  • Rhymes: -ɪft

Etymology 1

From Middle English liften, lyften, from Old Norse lypta (“to lift, air”, literally “to raise in the air”), from Proto-Germanic *luftijaną (“to raise in the air”), related to *luftuz (“roof, air”), perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *lewp- (“to peel, break off, damage”) or from a root meaning roof (see *luftuz). Cognate with Danish and Norwegian Bokmål løfte (“to lift”), Norwegian Nynorsk and Swedish lyfta (“to lift”), German lüften (“to air, lift”), Old English lyft (“air”). See above. 1851 for the noun sense "a mechanical device for vertical transport".

(To steal): For this sense Cleasby suggests perhaps a relation to the root of Gothic 𐌷𐌻𐌹𐍆𐍄𐌿𐍃 (hliftus) "thief", cognate with Latin cleptus and Greek κλέπτω (kléptō)).

Verb

lift (third-person singular simple present lifts, present participle lifting, simple past lifted or (rare, regional, obsolete) lift, past participle lifted or (rare, regional, obsolete) lift or (obsolete) yleft)

  2. (ambitransitive) To raise or rise.
    • c. 1490, Of Penance and Confession be master Jhon Yrlandː
      Liftand (lifting) thy hands and thy eyen to Heaven.
  4. (transitive, slang) To steal.
  6. (transitive, slang) To source directly without acknowledgement; to plagiarise.
  8. (transitive, slang) To arrest (a person).
  10. (transitive) To remove (a ban, restriction, etc.).
  12. (transitive) To alleviate, to lighten (pressure, tension, stress, etc.)
  13. (transitive) to cause to move upwards.
  15. (informal, intransitive) To lift weights; to weight-lift.
  16. To try to raise something; to exert the strength for raising or bearing.
  17. To elevate or improve in rank, condition, etc.; often with up.
  18. (obsolete) To bear; to support.
  19. To collect, as moneys due; to raise.
  20. (category theory, transitive) Given morphisms f {displaystyle f} and g {displaystyle g} with the same target: To produce a morphism which the given morphism factors through (i.e. a morphism h {displaystyle h} such that f = g ∘ h {displaystyle f=g\circ h} ; cf. lift n.18)
    1. (programming) To transform (a function) into a corresponding function in a different context.
  21. (finance) To buy a security or other asset previously offered for sale.
  22. (hunting, transitive) To take (hounds) off the existing scent and move them to another spot.
Usage notes

Lift also has an obsolete form liftand for the present participle. The strong forms were common until the 17th century in writing and still survive in speech in a few rural dialects.

Hyponyms
  • airlift
Derived terms
Translations

Noun

lift (countable and uncountable, plural lifts)

  1. An act of lifting or raising.
  2. The act of transporting someone in a vehicle; a ride; a trip.
    Synonym: ride
  3. (UK, Australia and New Zealand, puristic elsewhere) Mechanical device for vertically transporting goods or people between floors in a building.
    Synonym: (US, Canada, Australia) elevator
  5. An upward force; especially, the force (generated by wings, rotary wings, or airfoils) that keeps aircraft aloft.
    Coordinate term: liftup
  6. (measurement) The difference in elevation between the upper pool and lower pool of a waterway, separated by lock.
  7. (historical slang) A thief.
  8. (dance) The lifting of a dance partner into the air.
  9. Permanent construction with a built-in platform that is lifted vertically.
  10. (figurative) An improvement in mood.
  11. The amount or weight to be lifted.
  12. The space or distance through which anything is lifted.
  13. A rise; a degree of elevation.
  14. A liftgate.
  15. (nautical) A rope leading from the masthead to the extremity of a yard below, and used for raising or supporting the end of the yard.
  16. (engineering) One of the steps of a cone pulley.
  17. (shoemaking) A layer of leather in the heel of a shoe.
  18. (horology) That portion of the vibration of a balance during which the impulse is given.
  20. (category theory) A morphism which some given morphism factors through; i.e. given a pair of morphisms f : X → Y {displaystyle f:X\to Y} and g : Z → Y {displaystyle g:Z\to Y} , a morphism h {displaystyle h} such that f = g ∘ h {displaystyle f=g\circ h} . (In this case h {displaystyle h} is said to be a lift of f {displaystyle f} via Z {displaystyle Z} or via g {displaystyle g} ).
  21. (broadcasting) A shorter extract from a commercial/advertisement, able to be used on its own.
Derived terms
Descendants
  • → Cantonese: 𨋢 / 䢂 (lip1)
  • → Dutch: lift
    • → Papiamentu: left
  • → Malay: lif
  • → Russian: лифт (lift)
    • → Armenian: լիֆտ (lift)
    • → Georgian: ლიფტი (lipṭi)
    • → Kazakh: лифт (lift)
    • → Mongolian: лифт (lift)
    • → Uyghur: لىفت (lift)
    • → Uzbek: lift
    • → Yakut: лифт (lift)
  • → Swahili: lifti
  • → Swedish: lift
Translations
See also
  • escalator

References

  • The Dictionary of the Scots Language

Etymology 2

From Middle English lifte, luft, lefte (“air, sky, heaven”), from Old English lyft (“atmosphere, air”), from Proto-West Germanic *luftu, from Proto-Germanic *luftuz (“roof, sky, air”), from Proto-Indo-European *lewp- (“to peel, break off, damage”).

Cognate with Old High German luft (“air”) (German Luft), Dutch lucht (“air”), Old Norse lopt, loft (“upper room, sky, air”). Doublet of loft and luft.

Noun

lift (usually uncountable, plural lifts)

  1. (UK dialectal, chiefly Scotland) Air.
  2. (UK dialectal, chiefly Scotland) The sky; the heavens; firmament; atmosphere.
Synonyms
  • (gas or vapour breathed): air
  • (firmament, ethereal region surrounding the earth): atmosphere
  • (the heavens, sky): welkin

References

  • “lift”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
  • William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “lift”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.
  • Douglas Harper (2001–2025) “lift”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

Anagrams

  • ILTF, flit

Azerbaijani

Noun

lift (definite accusative lifti, plural liftlər)

  1. lift

Declension

Further reading

  • “lift” in Obastan.com.

Chinese

Danish

Etymology

From English lift.

Noun

lift n (singular definite liftet, plural indefinite lift)

  1. The non-commercial act of transporting someone in a vehicle: ride
  2. boost

Inflection

Noun

lift c (singular definite liften, plural indefinite lifte or lifter)

  1. carrycot
  2. elevator
  3. lift

Inflection

Dutch

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /lɪft/
  • Hyphenation: lift
  • Rhymes: -ɪft

Etymology 1

Borrowed from British English lift.

Noun

lift m (plural liften, diminutive liftje n)

  1. a lift, an elevator
  2. a free ride, a lift
Derived terms
  • goederenlift
  • rolstoellift
  • skilift
  • stoeltjeslift
  • traplift
Related terms
  • liften
Descendants
  • → Papiamentu: left

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

lift

  1. inflection of liften:
    1. first/second/third-person singular present indicative
    2. imperative

Estonian

Etymology

From British English lift.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈlift/

Noun

lift (genitive lifti, partitive lifti)

  1. lift, elevator

Declension

French

Etymology

Borrowed from English lift.

Pronunciation

Noun

lift m (plural lifts)

  1. (obsolete) lift attendant (UK), elevator attendant (US)
    • 1919, Marcel Proust, À l'ombre des jeunes filles en fleurs:
      Sans la timidité ni la tristesse du soir de mon arrivée, je sonnai le lift qui ne restait plus silencieux pendant que je m'élevais à côté de lui dans l'ascenseur […] .
      Without the timidity or sadness of the evening I arrived, I rang for the lift attendant, who no longer remained silent as I travelled up beside him in the elevator.
  2. (sports) topspin

References

  • “lift”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Hungarian

Etymology

Borrowed from British English lift.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [ˈlift]
  • Hyphenation: lift
  • Rhymes: -ift

Noun

lift (plural liftek)

  1. lift, elevator
    Synonym: (formal) felvonó
    Hyponym: (a slow, continuously moving lift or elevator) páternoszter

Declension

Derived terms

Further reading

  • lift in Géza Bárczi, László Országh, et al., editors, A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára [The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (ÉrtSz.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN.

Indonesian

Etymology

From British English lift, from Middle English liften, lyften, from Old Norse lypta (“to lift, air”, literally “to raise in the air”), from Proto-Germanic *luftijaną (“to raise in the air”), related to *luftuz (“roof, air”), perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *lewp- (“to peel, break off, damage”) or from a root meaning roof (see *luftuz).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [ˈlɪf]
  • Rhymes: -lɪf, -ɪf, -f
  • Hyphenation: lift

Noun

lift (plural lift-lift)

  1. lift, mechanical device for vertically transporting goods or people between floors in a building; an elevator

Alternative forms

  • lif (Johor-Riau)

Compounds

Further reading

  • “lift” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.

Italian

Etymology

Pseudo-anglicism. In sense 1, a clipping of English liftboy. In sense 2, a transferred sense of English lift.

Noun

lift m (invariable)

  1. lift / elevator operator
  2. (tennis) topspin

Derived terms

  • liftare

Middle English

Alternative forms

  • luft, left, leoft

Etymology

From Old English lyft.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /lift/

Adjective

lift

  1. left

Descendants

  • English: left
  • Yola: left

References

  • “lift, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Middle Scots

Etymology 1

From Middle English lift, luft, from Old English lyft.

Alternative forms

  • lyft, luft, lifte, lyfft

Noun

lift

  1. sky, firmament
  2. air, atmosphere

Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Alternative forms

  • lyft

Noun

lift

  1. act of lifting

References

  • “lift”, in The Dictionary of the Scots Language, Edinburgh: Scottish Language Dictionaries, 2004–present, →OCLC.

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from British English lift, French lift.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /lift/

Noun

lift n (plural lifturi)

  1. elevator, lift
    Synonym: ascensor
  2. (tennis, table tennis, volleyball) A stroke that gives the ball an upward trajection.

Derived terms

  • aerlift
  • lift spațial

Scots

Alternative forms

  • luft

Etymology

Inherited from Middle Scots lift, from Middle English lift / luft, from Old English lyft.

Noun

lift (plural lifts)

  1. sky, firmament

References

  • “lift”, in The Dictionary of the Scots Language, Edinburgh: Scottish Language Dictionaries, 2004–present, →OCLC.

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

From British English lift.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /lîft/

Noun

lȉft m (Cyrillic spelling ли̏фт)

  1. lift, elevator
    Synonym: dȉzalo

Declension

Slovak

Etymology

Derived from British English lift.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [ʎift]

Noun

lift m inan (genitive singular liftu, nominative plural lifty, genitive plural liftov, declension pattern of dub)

  1. (colloquial) an elevator, lift
    Synonym: výťah

Declension

Derived terms

  • liftový

Further reading

  • “lift”, in Slovníkový portál Jazykovedného ústavu Ľ. Štúra SAV [Dictionary portal of the Ľ. Štúr Institute of Linguistics, Slovak Academy of Science] (in Slovak), https://slovnik.juls.savba.sk, 2003–2025

Swedish

Etymology

Borrowed from English lift.

Noun

lift c

  1. a ski lift
    Synonym: skidlift
  2. an aerial work platform
    Synonym: skylift
  3. a ride, a lift (for free, for example when hitchhiking)

Usage notes

Compare skjuts.

Declension

Derived terms

  • knapplift (“button lift”)
  • liftkort (“lift pass”)
  • replift (“ski tow”)
  • skidlift (“ski lift”)
  • släplift (“surface lift”)
  • sittlift (“chair lift”)

Related terms

  • lifta (“hitchhike”)
  • liftare (“hitchhiker”)

See also

  • linbana
  • skjuts

References

  • lift in Svensk ordbok (SO)
  • lift in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)

Uzbek

Etymology

Borrowed from Russian лифт (lift), from British English lift.

Noun

lift (plural liftlar)

  1. elevator, lift

Declension

Related terms

  • liftchi
  • liftyor

Volapük

Noun

lift (nominative plural lifts)

  1. elevator
  2. altitude adjustor

Declension

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