loft ‧ y /ˈlɒfti $ ˈlɒː/ BrE AmE adjective
1 . literary lofty mountains, buildings etc are very high and impressive:
He stayed at the Four Seasons Hotel, from whose lofty heights he could see across New York.
2 . lofty ideas, beliefs, attitudes etc show high standards or high moral qualities – use this to show approval:
lofty ideals of equality and social justice
He had set himself the lofty goal of reaching the world’s top five.
3 . seeming to think you are better than other people – used to show disapproval:
She has such a lofty manner.
—loftily adverb
—loftiness noun [uncountable]
• • •
THESAURUS
■ buildings/mountains etc
▪ high measuring a long distance from the bottom to the top – used about mountains, walls, and buildings:
the highest mountain in the world
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The castle was surrounded by high walls.
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a high cliff
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The council told the architects the tower was too high.
▪ tall high – used about people, trees, plants, and buildings. Tall is used especially about things that are high and narrow:
tall marble columns
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A cat was hiding in the tall grass.
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a tall modern building
▪ majestic especially written very impressive because of being very big and tall – used about mountains, buildings, trees, and animals:
the majestic mountains of the Himalayas
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The abbey is noted for its majestic arches, fine doorways and elegant windows.
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The cathedral looked majestic in the evening light.
▪ soaring [only before noun] especially written used about a building or mountain that looks extremely tall and impressive:
a soaring skyscraper
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the soaring towers of the palace
▪ towering [only before noun] especially written extremely high, in a way that seems impressive but also often rather frightening:
The sky was shut out by the towering walls of the prison.
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towering trees
▪ lofty [usually before noun] literary very high and impressive – used in literature:
the lofty peaks in the far distance
▪ high-rise [usually before noun] a high-rise building is a tall modern building with a lot of floors containing apartments or offices:
a high-rise apartment block
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He works in a high-rise office in New York.