lift

Q: What does "lift" mean?

1. (to raise up) to move something or someone to a higher position. 2. (to end a rule) to officially end a rule, law, or block. 3. (to steal) to steal something, especially from a shop. 4. (a machine for floors) a machine that carries people or goods up and down in a building. 5. (a ride) a free ride in someone's car to a place you want to go. 6. (upward force) the force that keeps an aircraft in the air. 7. (mood improvement) a feeling of being happier or more hopeful.

Word

01to raise up

A2 · Elementary

v. to move something or someone to a higher position.

v. to move something from a lower to a higher position. Ambitransitive, though typically used with a direct object.

“He had to lift the heavy box onto the top shelf.”

“The crane was brought in to lift the heavy steel beams to the upper floors of the construction site.”

Synonyms

raise elevate hoist

Antonyms

drop lower

02to end a rule

B2 · Upper Intermediate Law Formal

v. to officially end a rule, law, or block.

v. to formally rescind or remove a restriction, ban, or legal requirement.

“The government decided to lift the travel ban next month.”

“After months of negotiation, the international community agreed to lift the economic sanctions against the region.”

Synonyms

remove cancel rescind

Antonyms

impose enforce

03to steal

C1 · Advanced Slang · Informal

v. to steal something, especially from a shop.

v. to steal or shoplift items; also used for plagiarising ideas or text without attribution.

“He was caught trying to lift a bottle of wine from the store.”

“The journalist was accused of lifting entire paragraphs from a rival publication without providing any credit.”

Synonyms

steal pinch swipe

04a machine for floors

A2 · Elementary Countable noun Engineering British English

n. a machine that carries people or goods up and down in a building.

n. a platform or compartment housed in a shaft for raising and lowering people or things to different levels.

“The lift was broken, so we had to walk up six flights of stairs.”

“The modern office block features high-speed glass lifts that offer a panoramic view of the city skyline.”

Usage

Commonly called an 'elevator' in American English.

Teaching tip

Learners should be aware that 'lift' is the standard term in the UK, while 'elevator' is preferred in the US.

Synonyms

elevator

05a ride

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun

n. a free ride in someone's car to a place you want to go.

n. a free journey in another person's vehicle, typically as a favour.

“My car is at the garage, so can you give me a lift to work?”

“She offered her colleague a lift home since they both lived in the same suburban neighbourhood.”

Synonyms

ride hitch

06upward force

B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun Science Technical

n. the force that keeps an aircraft in the air.

n. the component of the total aerodynamic force on a body and is perpendicular to the direction of the relative gas or liquid flow.

“The plane's wings are designed to create lift as it moves forward.”

“The pilot adjusted the flaps to increase lift during the slow approach to the runway.”

Synonyms

updraft

Antonyms

weight gravity

07mood improvement

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun

n. a feeling of being happier or more hopeful.

n. a psychological or emotional boost that improves one's spirits or morale.

“Winning the first game gave the whole team a real lift.”

“The positive feedback from the CEO provided a much-needed lift to the department's morale after a difficult quarter.”

Synonyms

boost encouragement

Antonyms

depression blow

lift vs elevator

Lift is the standard term in British English, while elevator is the standard term in American English.

RememberLift is British; Elevator is American.

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)).

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.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

VERB

lift(A2)

NOUN

drag escalator lift off loft pull