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🌟 High-minded 🏰 Very tall
lofty

lofty

8 5.6
Very tall, like a tree or mountain, standing high above other things
  • adjective
  • /ˈlɔfti/
translation icon : alto
  • The Yellowstone plateau is perched high in the central Rocky Mountains and surrounded by lofty mountain peaks.
  • lofty heights

We've got some lofty clouds and blue skies, right?

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Examples

  • Silver Falls is located on a steep hill, and the stairs going up are narrow and lofty.

    Academic text (2006)

  • The snow has fallen on Fuji's lofty peak.

  • No such lofty mountains, I believe, have yet been discovered in the northern part of this continent.

    Academic text (2018)

  • Seated on a high and lofty throne.

  • Scaffolding had been erected in the foyer, reaching to the lofty ceiling.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • Soon the castle stood, tall and stately, a lofty collection of stone towers in the midst of domed shapes.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • The designer created a lofty skyscraper that dominated the city skyline.

  • We hiked up to the lofty cliffs to enjoy the breathtaking view of the valley below.

  • The lofty trees in the forest provided ample shade on a hot summer day.

Synonyms

tall
vslofty
∞ 1.0

Higher than most people or things of the same kind

emphasizes unusually impressive height that makes something stand out
sky-high
vslofty
11 4.5

To be blown very high into the sky by an explosion

means impressive height but not necessarily an extreme height
eminent
vslofty
2 6.0

A hill, cliff, or building that is higher than nearby land

focuses more narrowly on striking physical height rather than prominence
altitudinous
vslofty
9.9

Very high, like mountain peaks or tall cliffs

is the common impressive height sense used in ordinary speech
soaring
vslofty
3.9

Very high and standing above nearby buildings or land

is similar but suggests a static impressive presence rather than motion
towering
vslofty
4.0

Very tall and impressive, rising high above other things

is high and impressive but less about dominating nearby things

Antonyms

short
∞ 1.0

Not long in distance, height, or time

low
22 1.0

To a position close to the ground

How Tall

sky-high
11 4.5
towering
4.0
lofty
8 5.6
high
∞ 1.0
tall
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

lofty positive
loftier comparative
loftiest superlative

Morphology

lofty = loft (transparent) = loft + y

The meaning 'of great height' is a direct extension of 'loft' (high/elevated) plus the adjectival suffix '-y', so learners can readily derive the meaning.

Etymology

Lofty comes from the old English word loft, which meant 'air' or an 'upper room', and is the same loft we still use for an 'attic' or high space. So the image of something up in the air makes it easy to see why lofty means 'very high' or impressively tall.