Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Of imposing height.
  • adjective Elevated in character; exalted.
  • adjective Affecting grandness; pompous.
  • adjective Arrogant; haughty.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Raised in space or dimensions; lifted high up; elevated; very high.
  • Elevated in condition, character, or quality; raised above the common level; characterized by eminence, dignity, sublimity, etc.; exalted; impressive.
  • Elevated in conceit; manifesting pride or arrogance; haughty; ostentatious.
  • Synonyms High, etc. See tall.
  • Sublime, exalted, stately, majestic. See grand.
  • Arrogant, magisterial.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Lifted high up; having great height; towering; high.
  • adjective Fig.: Elevated in character, rank, dignity, spirit, bearing, language, etc.; exalted; noble; stately; characterized by pride; haughty.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective high, tall, having great height or stature
  • adjective idealistic, implying over-optimism
  • adjective extremely proud

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective of imposing height; especially standing out above others
  • adjective of high moral or intellectual value; elevated in nature or style
  • adjective having or displaying great dignity or nobility

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, noble, from loft, upstairs room, sky; see loft.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Middle English, noble, from loft ("upstairs room, sky").

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Examples

  • Now, now, you needn't hesitate at taking what I call a lofty salary, for it always was my way to pay down handsome.

    The Palace Beautiful A Story for Girls L. T. Meade 1884

  • She had not shown any astonishment at what she called my lofty intellect; she had always believed in it; she had praised it unreasonably.

    Mauprat George Sand 1840

  • Politics has always been about “I am privileged, you are not” as seen in lofty chambers of Parliament.

    Police Complaints – The Shocking Truth! « POLICE INSPECTOR BLOG Inspector Gadget 2010

  • You will never find such as these on your path, if your thoughts remain lofty, if a fine emotion touches your spirit and your body.

    A prayer for the journey cavalaxis 2007

  • You will never find such as these on your path, if your thoughts remain lofty, if a fine emotion touches your spirit and your body.

    Archive 2007-06-01 cavalaxis 2007

  • These are brown shirts, egomaniacs who mask their lust for total domination and the dismantling of democracy in lofty patriotic rhetoric, which has no meaning to them except as a tool to numb the masses, or to manipulate them emotionally.

    Think Progress » ThinkFast AM: June 30, 2006 2006

  • In what ways was World War I an attempt to clothe base instincts in lofty purposes?

    Wickett's Remedy by Myla Goldberg: Questions 2005

  • You will never find such as these on your path if your thoughts remain lofty, if a fine emotion touches your spirit and your body.

    Blog De Ganz | Archive | June 2005

  • You will never find such as these on your path, if your thoughts remain lofty, if a fine emotion touches your spirit and your body.

    Are You Sure? Are You Positive? 2005

  • Republicans have packaged their bullshit in lofty sounding names for years … about time the Democrats start relabeling it.

    Think Progress » Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) 2005

Comments

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  • Lovesick, it came back upon yourself

    You are the one left on the shelf

    You are incapable of playing the fool

    Longing so what's different today?

    You sent the boy and girl away

    You are concerned with matters lofty.

    (Mayfly, by Belle and Sebastian)

    August 24, 2008

  • Trees, trees, millions of trees, massive, immense, running up high; and at their foot, hugging the bank against the stream, crept the little begrimed steamboat, like a sluggish beetle crawling on the floor of a lofty portico.

    --Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad

    March 9, 2011

  • Kimsuk has an extremely lofty opinion oh himself.

    February 15, 2013

  • Hurwitz thinks Peterson’s knack for extracting life lessons from lofty concepts helps account for his appeal.

    January 18, 2018