uplift

1 of 2

verb

up·​lift (ˌ)əp-ˈlift 

uplifted; uplifting; uplifts

transitive verb

1

: to lift up : elevate

especially : to cause (a portion of the earth's surface) to rise above adjacent areas

2

: to improve the spiritual, social, or intellectual condition of

intransitive verb

: rise

uplifter noun

uplift

2 of 2

noun

up·​lift ˈəp-ˌlift 

1

: an act, process, result, or cause of uplifting: such as

a(1)

: the uplifting of a part of the earth's surface

(2)

: an uplifted mass of land

b

: a bettering of a condition especially spiritually, socially, or intellectually

c(1)

: influences intended to uplift

(2)

: a social movement to improve especially morally or culturally

2

: a brassiere designed to hold the breasts up

Synonyms

Verb

• boost
• crane
• elevate
• heave
• heft
• heighten
• hike
• hoist
• jack (up)
• lift
• perk (up)
• pick up
• raise
• take up
• up
• uphold
• upraise

Examples of uplift in a Sentence

Verb

music that uplifts the soul

geologic forces that uplifted the mountains

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

From her breakout role in ‘Fame’ to her work as a director and philanthropist, Debbie Allen has spent decades using her creativity to uplift and inspire. —Okla Jones, Essence, 17 Feb. 2025

The event was curated to uplift Black changemakers, setting the celebratory tone with music and soul food. —Alyssa Goldberg, USA TODAY, 15 Feb. 2025

Noun

And apartheid as a social and economic policy was fundamentally about engineering Afrikaner uplift. —Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2025

With the steady replenishment of the Santa Barbara groundwater basin since 2018, for example, the team detected areas of several millimeters of annual uplift. —Dan Perry, Newsweek, 13 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

circa 1845, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

uplift

1 of 2 verb

up·​lift (ˌ)əp-ˈlift 

1

: to lift up : elevate

2

: to improve the spiritual, mental, or social condition of

uplift

2 of 2 noun

up·​lift ˈəp-ˌlift 

1

: an act, process, or result of uplifting

especially : the uplifting of a part of the earth's surface

2

: moral or social improvement or a movement to make such improvement