Dictionary

lofty en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ˈlɒfti/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈlɑfti/ (cot-caught-merger)
• lŏftʹi (cot-caught-merger)
• /ˈlɔːfti/ (General-American)
• lôftʹi (General-American)
• lŏftʹi (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From Middle English lofty, lofti, lofte (“of high rank; noble; ornate”), equivalent to loft (“sky, firmament; upper room”) + -y.

Meanings

1. High, tall, having great height or stature.
   • The lofty mountains roſe faint to the ſight and loſt their foreheads in the diſtant ſkies: the little hills, cloathed in darker green and ſkirted with embroidered vales, diſcovered the ſecret haunts of kids and bounding roes. 1769, Firishta, translated by Alexander Dow, Tales translated from the Persian of Inatulla of Delhi, volume I, Dublin: P. and W. Wilson et al., page iv:
   • When the night was half spent, I rose and walked on, till the day broke in all its beauty and the sun rose over the heads of the lofty hills and athwart the low gravelly plains. 1885, Richard F. Burton, “Night 551”, in The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night:
   • On my left was a river, which came roaring down from a range of lofty mountains right before me to the south-east. 1862, George Borrow, chapter 98, in Wild Wales, archived from the original on 24 Dec 2011:
2. Idealistic, implying over-optimism.
   • He reiterated his lofty goals “to make life multiplanetary.” 2026 June 12, Bernard Condon, “SpaceX stock soars in debut and makes Elon Musk the first trillionaire”, in AP News, archived from the original on 12 Jun 2026:
   • A goal from Steven Caulker, just after the hour mark, was enough to hand victory to Malky Mackay's men, with Swansea falling some way short of the lofty standards they have set previously at this level. 3 November 2013, Delme Parfitt, “Cardiff City 1 - 0 Swansea City: Steven Caulker heads Bluebirds to South Wales derby win”, in Wales Online:
   • a lofty goal
3. Extremely proud; arrogant; haughty.
   • that lofty pity with which prosperous folk are apt to remember their grandfathers 1886, Frederic Harrison, The Choice of Books:

Forms

Antonyms

mean (antonym(s) of “having great height or stature”) · ignoble (antonym(s) of “having great height or stature”) · antonym(s) of

Deriveds

lofty ship · loftiness · loftily · Mount Lofty · overlofty · unlofty

Relateds

aloft

Synonyms

noble (having great height or stature) · honorable (having great height or stature)

Translations (94)

mk го́рделив (extremely proud) · ro semeț (extremely proud) · ru возвы́шенный (idealistic) · ja 高尚な (high, having great height or stature) · gl altivo (extremely proud) · gl nobre (idealistic) · he נשגב nisgav נאצל neetzal (idealistic) · la celsus (high, having great height or stature) · ro măreț (high, having great height or stature) · it nobile (idealistic) · fi korkea (high, having great height or stature) · ru высокоме́рный (extremely proud) · bg изди́гнат (high, having great height or stature) · hy վեհ (idealistic) · cs vysoký (high, having great height or stature) · es elevado (high, having great height or stature) · cmn 高聳 /高耸 (high, having great height or stature) · bg надме́нен (extremely proud) · cmn 遠大 /远大 (idealistic) · es alto (high, having great height or stature) · he יהיר yahir (extremely proud) · grc ὑψηλός (high, having great height or stature) · gv ard-aignagh (idealistic) · it alto (high, having great height or stature) · he גבה לב gvá-lev (extremely proud) · cs tyčící se do výše (high, having great height or stature) · de ambitioniert (idealistic) · mi tīkokekoke (high, having great height or stature) · ko 높다 (high, having great height or stature) · mk на́дмен (extremely proud) · mk ви́сок (high, having great height or stature) · gl arrogante (extremely proud) · ang hēalīċ (extremely proud) · pl szczytny (idealistic) · gl elevado (high, having great height or stature) · ru высо́кий (idealistic) · nl ambitieus (idealistic) · cs povýšený (extremely proud) · sl visok (high, having great height or stature) · de überheblich (extremely proud) · de hochgesteckt (idealistic) · nl hoogstaand (high, having great height or stature) · ja 素晴らしい (high, having great height or stature) · la excelsus (high, having great height or stature) · de luftig (high, having great height or stature) · ang hēalīċ (high, having great height or stature) · cmn 高遠 /高远 (idealistic) · cs vznešený (idealistic) · cmn 高傲 (extremely proud) · es majestuoso (high, having great height or stature) · mi tikoke (high, having great height or stature) · ro măreț (idealistic) · gl soberbioso (extremely proud) · el αγέρωχος (extremely proud) · de hoch (high, having great height or stature) · cmn 巍峨 (high, having great height or stature) · ja 高遠な (idealistic) · pl wysoki (high, having great height or stature) · ru гордели́вый (extremely proud) · pt majestoso (high, having great height or stature) · ru возвели́ченный (idealistic) · bg възвишен (idealistic) · gl elevado (idealistic) · de hochmütig (extremely proud) · ar شَاهِق (high, having great height or stature) · fi kopea (extremely proud) · fi ylevä (idealistic) · cs vznosný (high, having great height or stature) · ja 崇高な (high, having great height or stature) · mk во́звишен (idealistic) · ko 높다 (idealistic) · bg високоме́рен (extremely proud) · ja 立派な (high, having great height or stature) · pt altivo (high, having great height or stature) · ru надме́нный (extremely proud) · ru высо́кий (high, having great height or stature) · he מתנשא mitnassé (extremely proud) · sl vzvišen (idealistic) · cs povýšenecký (extremely proud) · bg висо́к (high, having great height or stature) · pl wzniosły (idealistic) · mi paratū (high, having great height or stature) · sw refu (high, having great height or stature) · cmn 崇高 (idealistic) · mk и́здигнат (high, having great height or stature) · cmn 嵩 (high, having great height or stature) · es sublime (high, having great height or stature) · it maestoso (high, having great height or stature) · gl soberbio (extremely proud) · pt ambicioso (idealistic) · cs ušlechtilý (idealistic) · he גבוה gavoha (high, having great height or stature) · gl maxestoso (high, having great height or stature) · fr haut (high, having great height or stature)