lift
♦♦ lift /l'ɪft/ (lifts lifting lifted)
1 [VERB] V n, V n prep/adv
If you lift something, you move it to another position, especially upwards.
The Colonel lifted the phone and dialed his superior...
She lifted the last of her drink to her lips.
[PHRASAL VERB] V n P, V P n (not pron)
Lift up means the same as lift.
She put her arms around him and lifted him up...
Curious shoppers lifted up their children to take a closer look at the parade.
2 [VERB] V n, V n
If you lift a part of your body, you move it to a higher position.
Amy lifted her arm to wave. `Goodbye,' she called...
She lifted her foot and squashed the wasp into the ground.
= raise
[PHRASAL VERB] V n P, V P n (not pron)
Lift up means the same as lift.
Tom took his seat again and lifted his feet up on to the railing...
The boys lifted up their legs, indicating they wanted to climb in.
3 [VERB] V n
If you lift your eyes or your head, you look up, for example when you have been reading and someone comes into the room.
When he finished he lifted his eyes and looked out the window.
= raise
4 [VERB] V n
If people in authority lift a law or rule that prevents people from doing something, they end it.
The European Commission has urged France to lift its ban on imports of British beef.
5 [VERB] V n, V
If something lifts your spirits or your mood, or if they lift, you start feeling more cheerful.
He used his incredible sense of humour to lift my spirits...
As soon as she heard the telephone ring her spirits lifted.
6 [N-SING] usu a N
If something gives you a lift, it gives you a feeling of greater confidence, energy, or enthusiasm. (INFORMAL)
My selection for the team has given me a tremendous lift.
= boost
7 [N-COUNT]
A lift is a device that carries people or goods up and down inside tall buildings. (BRIT; in AM, use elevator)
They took the lift to the fourth floor.
8 [N-COUNT]
If you give someone a lift somewhere, you take them there in your car as a favour to them.
He had a car and often gave me a lift home.
= ride
9 [VERB] V n prep/adv
If a government or organization lifts people or goods in or out of an area, it transports them there by aircraft, especially when there is a war.
The army lifted people off rooftops where they had climbed to escape the flooding...
= fly
10 [VERB] V n to/from/by amount, V n
To lift something means to increase its amount or to increase the level or the rate at which it happens.
The bank lifted its basic home loans rate to 10.99% from 10.75%...
A barrage would halt the flow upstream and lift the water level.
= increase
11 [VERB] V
If fog, cloud, or mist lifts, it reduces, for example by moving upwards or by becoming less thick.
The fog had lifted and revealed a warm, sunny day.
12
to lift a finger: see fingerchair lift (chair lifts)
also chairlift
[N-COUNT]
A chair lift is a line of chairs that hang from a moving cable and carry people up and down a mountain or ski slope.lift off
[PHRASAL VERB] V P
When an aircraft or rocket lifts off, it leaves the ground and rises into the air.
The plane lifted off and climbed steeply into the sky.
= take offlift up
see lift 1, 2ski lift (ski lifts)
also ski-lift
[N-COUNT]
A ski lift is a machine for taking people to the top of a slope so that they can ski down it. It consists of a series of seats hanging down from a moving wire.
1 [VERB] V n, V n prep/adv
If you lift something, you move it to another position, especially upwards.
The Colonel lifted the phone and dialed his superior...
She lifted the last of her drink to her lips.
[PHRASAL VERB] V n P, V P n (not pron)
Lift up means the same as lift.
She put her arms around him and lifted him up...
Curious shoppers lifted up their children to take a closer look at the parade.
2 [VERB] V n, V n
If you lift a part of your body, you move it to a higher position.
Amy lifted her arm to wave. `Goodbye,' she called...
She lifted her foot and squashed the wasp into the ground.
= raise
[PHRASAL VERB] V n P, V P n (not pron)
Lift up means the same as lift.
Tom took his seat again and lifted his feet up on to the railing...
The boys lifted up their legs, indicating they wanted to climb in.
3 [VERB] V n
If you lift your eyes or your head, you look up, for example when you have been reading and someone comes into the room.
When he finished he lifted his eyes and looked out the window.
= raise
4 [VERB] V n
If people in authority lift a law or rule that prevents people from doing something, they end it.
The European Commission has urged France to lift its ban on imports of British beef.
5 [VERB] V n, V
If something lifts your spirits or your mood, or if they lift, you start feeling more cheerful.
He used his incredible sense of humour to lift my spirits...
As soon as she heard the telephone ring her spirits lifted.
6 [N-SING] usu a N
If something gives you a lift, it gives you a feeling of greater confidence, energy, or enthusiasm. (INFORMAL)
My selection for the team has given me a tremendous lift.
= boost
7 [N-COUNT]
A lift is a device that carries people or goods up and down inside tall buildings. (BRIT; in AM, use elevator)
They took the lift to the fourth floor.
8 [N-COUNT]
If you give someone a lift somewhere, you take them there in your car as a favour to them.
He had a car and often gave me a lift home.
= ride
9 [VERB] V n prep/adv
If a government or organization lifts people or goods in or out of an area, it transports them there by aircraft, especially when there is a war.
The army lifted people off rooftops where they had climbed to escape the flooding...
= fly
10 [VERB] V n to/from/by amount, V n
To lift something means to increase its amount or to increase the level or the rate at which it happens.
The bank lifted its basic home loans rate to 10.99% from 10.75%...
A barrage would halt the flow upstream and lift the water level.
= increase
11 [VERB] V
If fog, cloud, or mist lifts, it reduces, for example by moving upwards or by becoming less thick.
The fog had lifted and revealed a warm, sunny day.
12
to lift a finger: see fingerchair lift (chair lifts)
also chairlift
[N-COUNT]
A chair lift is a line of chairs that hang from a moving cable and carry people up and down a mountain or ski slope.lift off
[PHRASAL VERB] V P
When an aircraft or rocket lifts off, it leaves the ground and rises into the air.
The plane lifted off and climbed steeply into the sky.
= take offlift up
see lift 1, 2ski lift (ski lifts)
also ski-lift
[N-COUNT]
A ski lift is a machine for taking people to the top of a slope so that they can ski down it. It consists of a series of seats hanging down from a moving wire.