TOP

Definition of lift verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

lift

verb
 
 
/lɪft/
 
/lɪft/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they lift
 
/lɪft/
 
/lɪft/
he / she / it lifts
 
/lɪfts/
 
/lɪfts/
past simple lifted
 
/ˈlɪftɪd/
 
/ˈlɪftɪd/
past participle lifted
 
/ˈlɪftɪd/
 
/ˈlɪftɪd/
-ing form lifting
 
/ˈlɪftɪŋ/
 
/ˈlɪftɪŋ/
Idioms Phrasal Verbs
jump to other results

    raise

  1.  
     [transitive, intransitive] to raise somebody/something or be raised to a higher position or level
    • lift somebody/something I lifted the lid of the box and peered in.
    • She lifted her head to look at him.
    • lift somebody/something up He lifted the toddler up and cuddled her.
    • lift somebody/something (up) + adv./prep. He stood there with his arms lifted above his head.
    • (figurative) John lifted his eyes (= looked up) from his book.
    • Her eyebrows lifted. ‘Apologize? Why?’
    Extra Examples
    • His head lifted sharply
    • Juliet nodded, lifting her face to David's.
    • The box was so heavy I could barely lift it.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • almost
    • half
    • fractionally
    • …
    verb + lift
    • can barely
    • can hardly
    • try to
    • …
    preposition
    • above
    • down
    • from
    • …
    See full entry
    2.

    move somebody/something

  2.  
     [transitive] lift somebody/something + adv./prep. to take hold of somebody/something and move them/it to a different position
    • I lifted the baby out of the chair.
    • He lifted the suitcase down from the rack.
    Extra Examples
    • Carefully lift the cake off the tray and cool on a wire rack.
    • She lifted the book up off the table.
    • He felt as if an enormous weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
    • She lifted the child over the fence.
    • He hugged her, almost lifting her off the ground.
    • She was lifted bodily aboard by two sailors.
    • He leaned on her and she half lifted him down the stairs.
    • She lifted back the sheet.
    • The heavy beams were lifted into place.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • almost
    • half
    • fractionally
    • …
    verb + lift
    • can barely
    • can hardly
    • try to
    • …
    preposition
    • above
    • down
    • from
    • …
    See full entry
  3. [transitive] lift somebody/something (+ adv./prep.) to transport people or things by air
    • The survivors were lifted to safety by helicopter.
    see also airlift
  4. [transitive] lift somebody/something (out of something) to give somebody/something the ability to escape from a difficult situation
    • The best way to lift nations out of poverty is through trade.
    5.

    remove law/rule

  5.  
     [transitive] lift something to remove or end controls or limits
    • The government decided to lift the ban on arms exports.
    • to lift sanctions/restrictions
    • The US remained opposed to lifting the embargo.
    • Martial law has now been lifted.
    • The police managed to restore calm and the curfew was partially lifted.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • completely
    • partially
    verb + lift
    • agree to
    • decide to
    • vote to
    • …
    See full entry
    6.

    heart/spirits

  6. [intransitive, transitive] to become or make somebody more cheerful
    • His heart lifted at the sight of her.
    • lift something The news lifted our spirits.
    7.

    of mist/clouds

  7. [intransitive] to rise and disappear synonym disperse
    • The fog began to lift.
    • (figurative) Gradually my depression started to lift.
    • The fog suddenly lifted.
    8.

    steal

  8. [transitive] lift something (from somebody/something) (informal) to steal something
    • He had been lifting electrical goods from the store where he worked.
    see also shopliftingTopics Crime and punishmentc2

    9. copy ideas/words

  9. [transitive] lift something (from something) to use somebody’s ideas or words without asking permission or without saying where they come from
    • She lifted most of the ideas from a book she had been reading.
    • lines lifted from a famous poem
    compare plagiarize

    10. vegetables

  10. [transitive] lift something to dig up vegetables or plants from the ground
    • to lift potatoes
    11.

    increase

  11. [transitive, intransitive] lift (something) to make the amount or level of something greater; to become greater in amount or level
    • Interest rates were lifted yesterday.
    • The redevelopment along the river should help lift property prices in the area.
    12. Word OriginMiddle English: from Old Norse lypta, of Germanic origin; related to loft.
Idioms
not lift/raise a finger/hand (to do something)
  1. (informal) to do nothing to help somebody
    • The children never lift a finger to help around the house.
See lift in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee lift in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
Check pronunciation: lift

Nearby words

trait
noun
 
 
From the Word list
Oxford 5000
B2
Oxford Learner's Dictionaries Word of the Day