1
as in tall
extending to a great distance upward the ever-increasing lofty heights of the world's skyscrapers

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in arrogant
having a feeling of superiority that shows itself in an overbearing attitude she acts all lofty and superior just because she went to an Ivy League college

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How does the adjective lofty contrast with its synonyms?

The words high and tall are common synonyms of lofty. While all three words mean "above the average in height," lofty suggests great or imposing altitude.

lofty mountain peaks

When might high be a better fit than lofty?

The meanings of high and lofty largely overlap; however, high implies marked extension upward and is applied chiefly to things which rise from a base or foundation or are placed at a conspicuous height above a lower level.

a high hill
a high ceiling

When can tall be used instead of lofty?

Although the words tall and lofty have much in common, tall applies to what grows or rises high by comparison with others of its kind and usually implies relative narrowness.

a tall thin man

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of lofty But the former Sephora Americas chief, and Ironman triathlete, has lofty goals. David Moin, WWD, 14 Jan. 2025 The cut reappears at No. 3, standing out as the loftiest return among all artists on the purchase-centric list. Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 12 Jan. 2025 But experts cautioned that lofty profits may belie an underlying danger. Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 11 Jan. 2025 Capital Public Radio has sued its former general manager, accusing him of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the station to fund a lofty lifestyle filled with lavish overseas trips, renovate his home residence, pay his children’s university tuition and more. Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 10 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for lofty 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lofty
Adjective
  • Drive through your heels to stand and squeeze your glutes at the top for 1 rep. Kneeling Leg Extension Katie Thompson Get into a kneeling position with your knees hip-distance apart, torso tall, core and legs engaged, and hands on your hips.
    Amy Marturana Winderl, SELF, 14 Jan. 2025
  • At the moment, Ascent is the tallest mass-timber structure in the world, beating out Mjøstårnet in Brumunddal, Norway, which opened to great acclaim in 2020.
    Ashley Gardini, JSTOR Daily, 14 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Julie Bowen and Christopher McDonald return as love interest Virginia Venit and arrogant rival Shooter McGavin, respectively, and the cast includes rookies like Bad Bunny, Travis Kelce and pro wrestler Maxwell Jacob Friedman.
    Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 17 Jan. 2025
  • Those include genial second-year resident Dr. King (Taylor Dearden), arrogant intern Santos (Isa Briones), and doe-eyed med students Javadi (Shabana Azeez) and Whittaker (Gerran Howell).
    Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 9 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • The proud dad, 40, and his oldest child made history in October 2024 by becoming the first father-son duo to play together in the NBA.
    Gabrielle Rockson, People.com, 15 Jan. 2025
  • Green would likely be proud of the award-winning bottles being produced today.
    Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 15 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Part of its role was to rehabilitate drug addicts using a naval regimen—a noble yet undignified service for a generation-defining yacht.
    Tristan Rutherford, Robb Report, 3 Jan. 2025
  • But, then, in a great and noble second act, the former president travels the world spreading goodness, peace and light while helping build safe and affordable housing for the needy and fighting the twin scourges of poverty and disease.
    Mark Barabak, The Mercury News, 1 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • In an ideal world being eloquent and prepared would have been enough.
    Brea Baker, refinery29.com, 6 Nov. 2024
  • Trump's crisp and eloquent narrative on the utility of bitcoin as a strategic reserve to be used to pay down national debt in both open and closed door sessions impressed many.
    Lawrence Wintermeyer, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • Enjoy a pristine beach experience without high rises, hotels, and other development, and with the comfort of restrooms, showers, and picnic pavilions.
    Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 17 Jan. 2025
  • But someone with frailty has a higher chance of ending up at the hospital and developing an infection.
    Kathleen Felton, SELF, 17 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Yet, The Curse of the Were-Rabbit goes well beyond the traditional signposts by adopting a quasi-Ealing feel to its superficially cozy country setting, and by showcasing the comically haughty side of the British aristocracy.
    Vikram Murthi, Vulture, 3 Jan. 2025
  • Georgina Castle is haughty and hilarious as Regina George, and Grace Mouat as Karen Smith has The Savoy Theatre audience in stitches with some hilarious lines and songs, while Elèna Gyasi plays Gretchen as a needy ‘pick me’ friend.
    Lee Sharrock, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • Finance chief Amy Hood said in October that revenue growth from Microsoft’s Azure cloud will speed up in the first half of this year because of greater AI infrastructure capacity.
    Jordan Novet, CNBC, 9 Jan. 2025
  • The Bills offense, without great wide receivers, has been fantastic this season.
    Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near lofty

Cite this Entry

“Lofty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lofty. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

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