lift
[verb]
Synonyms:
- raise, draw up, elevate, hoist, pick up, uplift, upraise
- revoke, annul, cancel, countermand, end, remove, rescind, stop, terminate
- disappear, be dispelled, disperse, dissipate, vanish
[noun]
Synonyms:
- ride, drive, run
- boost, encouragement, fillip, pick-me-up, shot in the arm (informal)
- elevator (chiefly U.S.)

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Antonyms: lower, invoke
Contrasted words: decrease, diminish, lessen, reduce, abase, debase, degrade, demean, humble, humiliate, depress, oppress, weigh
Related Words: arise, ascend, levitate, mount, rise, rocket, soar, surge, tower, aggrandize, exalt, magnify

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English Thesaurus: lift (up), raise, pick up, scoop up, hoist, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. lift¹ S2 W2 /lɪft/ verb
[Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old Norse; Origin: lypta]

1. MOVE SOMETHING UPWARDS (also lift up) [transitive] to move something or someone upwards into the air:
Sophie lifted the phone before the second ring.
He lifted the lid on the pot of soup.
The lumber was lifted by crane and dropped into the truck.
lift somebody/something onto/into/out of etc something
They lifted Andrew onto the bed.
lift somebody from something
The driver was lifted from the wreck.

2. PART OF THE BODY (also lift up) [intransitive and transitive] to move part of your body up to a higher position Synonym : raise
lift your hand/arm/leg etc
She lifted her hand to knock on the door once again.
Pam lifted her shoulders in a little shrug.
lift your head/eyes (=move your head or eyes up so that you can look at something)
She lifted her head to gaze at him.
He heard a scream and the hairs on the back of his neck began to lift.

3. CONTROLS/LAWS [transitive] to remove a rule or a law that says that something is not allowed
lift a restriction/an embargo/sanctions etc
The government plans to lift its ban on cigar imports.

4. BY PLANE [transitive always + adverb/preposition] to take people or things to or from a place by aircraft:
More troops are being lifted into the area as the fighting spreads.

5. not lift a finger (to do something) informal to do nothing to help:
He never lifted a finger to help me with the kids.

6. lift sb’s spirits to make someone feel more cheerful and hopeful

7. CLOUDS/MIST [intransitive] if cloud or mist lifts, it disappears

8. SAD FEELINGS [intransitive] if feelings of sadness lift, they disappear:
Jan’s depression seemed to be lifting at last.

9. USE SB’S IDEAS/WORDS [transitive] to take words, ideas etc from someone else’s work and use them in your work, without stating where they came from and as if they were your own words etc
lift something from somebody/something
The words were lifted from an article in a medical journal.

10. STEAL [transitive] informal to steal something
lift something from somebody/something
They had lifted dozens of CDs from the store.

11. VOICE (also lift up) [transitive] literary if you lift your voice, you speak, shout, or sing more loudly Synonym : raise

12. INCREASE [transitive] to make prices, profit etc increase:
The U.S. may use tax cuts to lift the economy.

13. VEGETABLES [transitive] to dig up vegetables that grow under the ground:
She was lifting potatoes.
lift off phrasal verb
if an aircraft or spacecraft lifts off, it leaves the ground and rises into the air

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. lift² S3 W3 noun

1. IN A BUILDING [countable] British English a machine that you can ride in, that moves up and down between the floors in a tall building Synonym : elevator American English:
They took the lift down to the bar.
It’s on the 3rd floor. Let’s use the lift.

2. IN A CAR [countable] if you give someone a lift, you take them somewhere in your car Synonym : ride:
Do you want a lift into town?
John gave me a lift home.
He very kindly offered me a lift.

3. give somebody/something a lift
a) to make someone feel more cheerful and more hopeful:
The new park has given everyone in the neighbourhood a lift.
b) to make something such as a business, the economy etc operate better:
The Bank of England’s announcement gave the stock market a lift today.

4. LIFTING MOVEMENT [countable] a movement in which something is lifted or raised up:
She does sit-ups and leg lifts every morning.

5. WIND/AIRCRAFT [uncountable] the pressure of air that keeps something such as an aircraft up in the air or lifts it higher
⇒ chairlift, ski lift

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

lift
noun
I. machine for taking people/goods up and down
ADJ. private, service The hotel has a private lift linking it to the beach.
baggage, goods, passenger, wheelchair | electric, hydraulic | basket, chair, gondola | ski
VERB + LIFT go down in, go up in/on, take We took the lift down to the ground floor.
operate
LIFT + VERB serve sth The lift serves the top four floors of the building.
arrive
LIFT + NOUN button | doors | shaft | attendant | pass You'll need your lift pass for the ski lifts.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

lift
II. free ride in a car, etc.
ADJ. free
VERB + LIFT ask for, cadge, hitch, thumb We stood by the roadside and thumbed a lift.
give sb, offer sb | accept Don't accept lifts from strangers.
PHRASES a lift back/home He offered us a lift home.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

lift
III. feeling of increased happiness/excitement
ADJ. great, huge, real Winning the semi-final gave the team a huge lift.
VERB + LIFT give sb | get

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

lift
verb
I. raise/move sb/sth
ADV. almost, half Her hugged her, almost lifting her off the ground.
fractionally, a little, slightly | slowly | sharply Her head lifted sharply
carefully, gently, gingerly Carefully lift the cake off the tray and cool on a wire rack.
bodily She was lifted bodily aboard by two sailors.
back, down, out, up She lifted back the sheet.
VERB + LIFT can/could barely/hardly The box was so heavy I could barely lift it.
try to | manage to | be too heavy to
PREP. above He stood, legs apart, arms lifted above his head.
down She leaned on him and he half lifted her down the stairs.
from He felt as if an enormous weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
into The heavy beams were lifted into place.
off She lifted the book up off the table.
out of He lifted the baby out of its cot.
over She lifted the child over the fence.
to Juliet nodded, lifting her face to David's.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

lift
II. remove a law/rule
ADV. completely | partially The police managed to restore calm and the curfew was partially lifted.
VERB + LIFT agree to, decide to, vote to The government decided to lift the ban on arms exports.
refuse to

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

lift (up) to move something or someone upwards to a higher position, especially something heavy, either by using your hands or a machine:
You shouldn’t lift anything heavy if you have a bad back.
She lifted the lid from a huge pot and took a sniff.
They lifted me onto a stretcher and took me to the ambulance.
He lifted the girl up onto his knee.
They used a crane to lift the carriages back onto the rails.
The massive bull lifted him bodily into the air and shook him repeatedly.
raise to lift something to a higher position for a short time before lowering it again. Raise is more formal than lift:
The bridge can be raised to allow ships to pass under it.
‘Cheers, everyone!’ said Larry, raising his glass.
pick up to lift something up from the ground, from a table etc, especially something small or light:
She picked up her bag and left the room.
Tom picked the papers up off the floor.
Why don’t you just pick up the phone and call him?
Maurin picked up the gun and put it in his pocket.
The lioness picked her cub up by its neck.
There are papers all over the floor – could you pick them up and put them away?
The little girl’s mother laughed and bent down to pick her up.
The vacuum cleaner won’t pick this stuff up.
scoop up to lift someone or something quickly from the ground, from a table etc, using your hand or arm:
She bent down and scooped up the little dog.
hoist to lift up something which is heavy and difficult to carry:
Joe picked up the sack and hoisted it onto the truck.
The crowd hoisted him onto their shoulders and carried him triumphantly down the main street.
elevate technical to lift something to a higher position and keep it there:
The doctor advised me to rest and elevate my ankle.
put your hand up to lift your arm into the air, for example because you want to speak in a class or when voting:
Put your hand up if you know the answer.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

lift
Weight of an individual piece of cargo lifted or carried.

[TahlilGaran] Acronyms and Abbreviations Dictionary ▲