loft

1 of 2

noun

ˈlȯft 

1

: an upper room or floor : attic

2

a

: a gallery in a church or hall

b

: one of the upper floors of a warehouse or business building especially when not partitioned

living in a converted loft

c

: hayloft

3

a

: the backward slant of the face of a golf-club head

b

: the act of lofting

4

: the thickness of a fabric or insulating material (such as goose down)

loftlike

ˈlȯft-ˌlīk 

adjective

loft

2 of 2

verb

lofted; lofting; lofts

transitive verb

1

: to place, house, or store in a loft

2

: to propel through the air or into space

lofted a long hit to center

instruments lofted by a powerful rocket

3

: to lay out a full-sized working drawing of the lines and contours of (such as a ship's hull)

intransitive verb

1

: to propel a ball high into the air

2

: to rise high

Synonyms

Noun

• attic
• cockloft
• garret

Verb

• cast
• catapult
• chuck
• dash
• fire
• fling
• heave
• hurl
• hurtle
• launch
• lob
• peg
• pelt
• pitch
• sling
• throw
• toss

Examples of loft in a Sentence

Noun

The kids' bedroom has a loft.

He rents a converted loft.

Verb

He lofted a home run into the stands.

The explosion lofted dust high into the air.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The Civic featured a stage 100 feet wide and 50 feet deep with a 100-foot-tall fly loft for scenery and an orchestra pit that could accommodate up to 100 musicians. —Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Feb. 2025

For the first two weeks, Ms. Powell mostly stayed in the cabin loft, trying to repair the damage and return to some normality. —Meridith Kohut, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025

Verb

Booker drew the attention of Antetokounmpo and then lofted a one-handed lob toward Ayton rolling to the rim. —Eric Nehm, The Athletic, 14 Feb. 2025

SpaceX also launched the first four members of the constellation, sending WorldView Legion 1 and 2 up in May 2024 and lofting WorldView Legion 3 and 4 in August that same year. —Mike Wall, Space.com, 4 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English, air, sky, from Old Norse lopt; akin to Old High German luft air

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1518, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing loft

• choir loft

Rhymes for loft

• coughed
• croft
• doffed
• oft
• scoffed
• soft
• toft
• waft
• aloft
• hayloft

Kids Definition

loft

1 of 2 noun

ˈlȯft 

1

: an upper room or floor : attic

2

a

: a gallery in a church or hall

organ loft

b

: an upper floor of a warehouse or business building when not partitioned

c

: hayloft

3

: the backward slant of the face of a golf-club head

loft

2 of 2 verb

1

: to place, house, or store in a loft

2

: to strike or throw a ball so that it rises high in the air

lofted a high fly to center field