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to lift

to lift

220 1.0
To rise or move to a higher position
  • verb
  • /lɪft/
translation icon : levantarse
  • Yeah, what time is that fog supposed to lift in the west?
  • lift your eyes
  • lift your head
  • lift an arm

And I'm being lifted up and up and up.

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Examples

  • To reach the top shelf, you need to lift the box higher.

  • That's when the weight lifted and I really started living.

  • I like the feeling of being fit and I like when I can lift more and more.

  • Come on, lift me up, lift me up!

  • Now lift your head and open your eyes.

  • We lift off in five.

  • That's how fast that thing just lifted into the air.

  • It lifts a huge weight off of my shoulders.

  • The baby stared at the shoe, then lifted his head and stared again at her.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • At my window, the georgette curtain lifts and falls in a current of thin heat.

    Fiction book (1990)

Synonyms

to pick up
vsto lift
834 1.0

To lift something or someone from the ground with your hands

is broader and also includes rising without manual handling
to rise
vsto lift
718 1.0

To move upward into the air, like smoke or mist

includes both self rising and being moved upward by others
to come up
vsto lift
571 2.2

To move from below to a higher place, like a diver rising to the surface

covers that rising sense plus the case of being lifted up by someone
to go up
vsto lift
442 1.0

To move to a higher position

adds the idea that it can be raised by someone else as well
to elevate
vsto lift
128 3.9

To move something to a higher place or level

focuses more on general raising while key also covers self motion
to lift up
vsto lift
107 1.1

To raise someone or something to a higher place

also allows the same end when something rises by itself
to hoist
vsto lift
79 4.7

To lift heavy things using ropes, pulleys, or a machine

is the general idea of rising, not tied to special equipment
to ascend
vsto lift
54 4.0

To move upward to a higher place, for example up a hill or into the sky

can mean the same movement or being lifted by an outside agent
to move up
vsto lift
43 2.0

Go to a higher place or level

also covers being raised by an external force rather than self movement
to boost
vsto lift
21 2.5

To push someone up from below so they reach a higher place

is the general rising notion, including cases without supportive pushing
to push up
vsto lift
11 2.1

Move something to a higher place by pushing from below or behind

covers rising that can happen without such pushing by an agent
to arise
vsto lift
8 2.7

Move up into the air like smoke or mist

is broader, applying to objects rising or being moved upward
to run up
vsto lift
8 5.6

Raise a flag or sail by pulling on ropes

is the general upward movement not limited to nautical methods
to raise up
vsto lift
7 2.1

To lift something or someone to a higher place

includes self rising as an alternative to being moved by action
to winch
vsto lift
5 5.9

To pull something up using a machine with a rope or cable

is the general action of moving upward without specifying method
to jack up
vsto lift
4 4.3

To lift a car or truck off the ground with a small lifting tool

is broader, covering any upward movement or external raising
to hike up
vsto lift
  • Informal
4 3.5

Pull a piece of clothing higher on your body

is the wider sense of moving upward beyond clothing actions
to soar up
vsto lift
1 3.8

Rise very quickly to a much higher level

is not limited to rapid rise and can include slow or raised motion
to heft up
vsto lift
  • Informal
1 6.1

To lift something with effort to see how heavy it is

includes rising that may happen without effort or deliberate testing
to soar upwards
vsto lift
3.4

Rise quickly to a much higher level, for example prices or temperatures

can be sudden but also includes gradual or externally caused rising

Antonyms

1.0

Move or drop down from a higher to a lower place

150 2.7

Move from a higher to a lower place

Idioms

to lift a finger
  • Informal
27 5.1

To make no effort to help

To make someone feel happier

To reveal information that was previously hidden

To make someone feel happier when they are sad

Phrasal Verbs

107 1.1

To raise someone or something to a higher place

Raise heavy objects to make your muscles stronger

20 3.9

To rise into the air from the ground like a plane or rocket

19 3.7

To make someone feel happier and more hopeful

5 2.7

To take something out by picking it up, often carefully or with a tool

6.1

Try to do better to meet higher standards

Compounds

face lift
  • Specialized
7 4.4

Surgery that tightens the skin on the face and removes extra tissue to make someone look younger

4 2.7

A machine with seats on a moving cable that carries skiers up a slope

3 3.4

Seats hanging from a moving overhead cable that carry people up a mountain

2 6.8

A difficult task that needs a lot of effort

2 3.8

A cosmetic update to a building or place that makes it look newer

1 4.0

A small change to the look of something to make it more modern or attractive

aerodynamic lift
  • Specialized
1 5.8

An upward force from moving air that holds a wing up

lift bridge
  • Specialized
1 5.7

A bridge with a section that rises so ships can pass under it

lift capacity
  • Specialized
1 4.5

The most weight that a crane can raise safely

A moving bar on a slope that pulls people up while they keep their skis or snowboard on

lift pump
  • Specialized
5.6

A machine that moves water from a lower place to a higher place

surface lift
  • Specialized
5.1

A machine that pulls skiers up a slope while they stay on the ground

A ski lift with a T-shaped bar that pulls skiers or snowboarders uphill as they hold it

top lift
  • Specialized
8.9

The bottom part of a shoe heel that often wears away and needs replacing

How Fast

to soar
96 3.4
to rise
718 1.0
to lift
220 1.0
climb
100 1.6
to drift
331 2.9

Surface Forms

lift infinitive
lifted past
lifted past participle
lifting present participle
lifts third person singular

Etymology

Lift originally meant 'to rise' or 'go up', so when smoke or fog 'lifts' it moves upward by itself. That's why we use lift for things that rise without being carried.