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lofty meaning and examples

2025-09-07

Meaning

  • Lofty (adjective) means:

    1. Very high, tall, or elevated.
    2. Noble, dignified, or admirable in thought, character, or style.
    3. (Sometimes disapproving) Having an arrogant, superior, or condescending attitude.

Grammar and Usage

  • Part of speech: Adjective
  • Used before nouns to describe height, ideas, goals, or attitudes.
  • Can be literal (“lofty mountain”) or figurative (“lofty ambition”).

Structures:

  • Lofty + noun → “lofty mountain,” “lofty ideals”
  • Be + lofty → “Her tone was lofty.”

Common Phrases

  • Lofty ideals
  • Lofty ambitions
  • Lofty position
  • Lofty speech
  • Lofty attitude

Collocations

  • Lofty + goals, ideals, ambitions, principles, standards, position, tower, mountain, speech, style, tone.

Examples

  1. The hikers admired the lofty peaks covered in snow.
  2. He set himself the lofty goal of becoming a world-class scientist.
  3. The politician spoke with lofty words but failed to deliver results.
  4. From the balcony, they had a lofty view of the entire city.
  5. She maintained a lofty dignity even in difficult circumstances.
  6. His lofty attitude made him unpopular among his colleagues.
  7. The ancient temple was built on a lofty hill overlooking the valley.
  8. Despite her lofty ideals, she remained practical in daily life.
  • High, elevated, towering, noble, exalted, grand, ambitious, dignified.

Antonym

  • Low, base, humble, modest, petty.