/ˈlɒfti/, /ˈlɔːfti/, /ˈlɑfti/
OriginFrom Middle English lofty, lofti, lofte (“of high rank; noble; ornate”), equivalent to loft (“sky, firmament; upper room”) + -y.
- 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 o”
“On my left was a river, which came roaring down from a range of lofty mountains right before me to the south-east.”
“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.”
- Idealistic, implying over-optimism.
“a lofty goal”
“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 leve”
- Extremely proud; arrogant; haughty.
“that lofty pity with which prosperous folk are apt to remember their grandfathers”
- informalnickname for a tall (usually male) person
Formsloftier(comparative) · loftiest(superlative)