lift
lift — noun
1. In British English, a motorised cabin inside a tall structure that ferries rider
In British English, a motorised cabin inside a tall structure that ferries riders and freight up and down between storeys.
Amara stepped into the lift and pressed the button for the fifth floor.
British English: lift = elevator
The lift in Haruto's apartment building broke down again this morning.
Dimitri held the lift door open for the woman carrying two heavy bags.
Visitors must use the service lift to move furniture between floors.
A sign inside the lift warned that it could hold only six people.
- elevator
used in American English instead of 'lift'
2. A single upward motion in which a person or machine raises an object, often usin
A single upward motion in which a person or machine raises an object, often using force from the arms or a mechanical aid.
With one careful lift, Beatriz moved the sleeping child from the sofa to bed.
The weightlifter's final lift set a new record at the championship.
a lift of [weight]
Kai gave the heavy suitcase a quick lift onto the luggage rack.
A single lift of the lever opens all four windows at once.
Noor's easy lift of the painting showed how light the frame really was.
3. The upward push that flowing air exerts on an aircraft wing or a bird's wing, ke
The upward push that flowing air exerts on an aircraft wing or a bird's wing, keeping it aloft against the downward pull of gravity.
The plane's wings are shaped to create maximum lift during take-off.
A bird tilts its feathers to increase lift when flying into a strong wind.
generate / create / increase lift
Engineers tested the new wing design to see how much lift it produced.
Without enough lift, the glider began to drop towards the fields below.
Warm air rising over the cliff gave the seagulls extra lift all afternoon.
- updraft
specifically a rising current of air, not the wing-generated force
- aerodynamic force
a broader technical term covering lift, drag, and thrust
- drag
the air resistance that pushes against an aircraft moving forward
4. A free ride in a car or other vehicle belonging to someone else, typically offer
A free ride in a car or other vehicle belonging to someone else, typically offered as a favour.
Fatima offered Kwame a lift to the train station after the meeting.
Ingrid's neighbour gave her a lift into town every Tuesday morning.
The driver asked if anyone needed a lift along the coast road.
Zofia missed the last bus but got a lift from a colleague.
Could I ask you for a lift home? The rain is getting worse.
- ride
broader — can be any journey in a vehicle, not necessarily free
常見錯誤
lift — verb
1. To shift an object so that it goes from a low place to a higher place, or to cau
To shift an object so that it goes from a low place to a higher place, or to cause a figure, rate, or amount to rise.
Tomasz lifted the box of books onto the top shelf of the cupboard.
lift + object + onto / into / to
The teacher asked Mei-Ling to lift her chair and move it to the front.
Construction workers used a crane to lift the steel beam into position.
Nandini, the branch manager on Luthuli Street, lifted the interest rate on savings accounts to three percent after the quarterly review.
Naledi slowly lifted her head when she heard the door open.
- lower
to move something downwards or reduce a level
文法句型
lift + something + onto / into / to
用法筆記
This is the most general sense and covers both physical upward movement and numerical increases. Distinguish from sense 4 (PICK UP AND CARRY): that sense always involves grasping and relocating the object.
2. To come first in a sporting event and receive a trophy — typically a large metal
To come first in a sporting event and receive a trophy — typically a large metal cup — that you then raise above your head in celebration.
Elena's team lifted the championship trophy after a tense final match.
The young tennis player dreamed of one day lifting the Wimbledon cup.
lift + [trophy / cup / title]
The captain lifted the silver cup high above her head as the crowd cheered.
No Mozambican club had ever lifted the regional championship trophy before Beira United's surprise win in Maputo.
After twelve years of trying, Idris finally lifted the league trophy.
- win
general term for coming first; does not imply the physical act of raising a trophy
文法句型
lift + trophy / cup / title
用法筆記
Always transitive; the object is normally a trophy, cup, or title. Most common in sports journalism.
常見錯誤
3. To harvest root vegetables and similar plants by pulling them up from beneath th
To harvest root vegetables and similar plants by pulling them up from beneath the earth, usually with a tool like a fork or spade.
Grandfather taught Anil how to lift potatoes without cutting them with the spade.
Farmers lift the carrots in late autumn before the ground freezes hard.
lift + [crop / vegetable]
Sanjay spent the morning lifting onions from the dry vegetable patch.
Thabo knelt in the vegetable patch and lifted young leeks without breaking a single tender root.
The workers began to lift the turnips just as the first rain arrived.
文法句型
lift + crop / vegetable
用法筆記
Used mainly in farming and gardening contexts. The object is always a root vegetable or similar underground crop.
4. To grasp an object with your hands and raise it upwards, then move it to another
To grasp an object with your hands and raise it upwards, then move it to another location or remove it completely.
Kaito lifted the sleeping puppy gently and placed it in its basket.
Esther lifted the lid off the pot to check if the soup was ready.
lift + [object] + off / out of / from
The nurse lifted the old woman from the wheelchair into the bed.
Oluwaseyi lifted the book from the shelf and handed it to the librarian.
Moving men lifted the piano onto a trolley and wheeled it outside.
- put down
to place something you are holding onto a surface
文法句型
lift + something + off / out of / from
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (RAISE HIGHER): this sense emphasises the complete action of grasping, raising, and relocating. Sense 1 focuses only on the upward movement itself.
5. To speak or sing more loudly so that your words or notes carry further, especial
To speak or sing more loudly so that your words or notes carry further, especially when acting on stage or addressing a crowd.
The actor lifted his voice so the people in the back row could hear.
During the chorus, Jun-ho lifted his voice above the noise of the crowd.
lift + one's voice
Elif lifted her voice in a clear, strong note that filled the concert hall.
On the wedding stage, Vikram lifted his voice so all two hundred guests could hear his toast to the couple.
The street performer lifted her voice and drew a small audience around her.
- raise one's voice
more common in everyday English; 'lift one's voice' is more literary or theatrical
- project
technical term for making your voice carry without shouting
- lower one's voice
to speak more quietly
文法句型
lift + one's voice
用法筆記
The object is almost always 'voice' (or 'one's voice'). This sense is most common in contexts of performance, public speaking, or storytelling.
6. To make an event, situation, or piece of creative work noticeably more lively, e
To make an event, situation, or piece of creative work noticeably more lively, enjoyable, or impressive.
A few jokes from the host lifted the mood of the whole dinner party.
lift + [mood / atmosphere / spirits]
The new paint and bright curtains really lifted the look of the café.
Adding fresh herbs to the sauce lifted the flavour of the simple dish.
Kofi's guitar solo lifted the song from an ordinary tune into something special.
Camila's lively opening speech lifted the whole afternoon session at the Cape Town tech conference.
- dampen
to make a mood or atmosphere less lively or positive
文法句型
lift + mood / atmosphere / quality
用法筆記
The object is typically something abstract: a mood, atmosphere, quality, or standard. Distinguish from sense 7 (MAKE HAPPIER): sense 6 is about improving things, sense 7 is specifically about people's emotions.
7. To cause a person to feel noticeably happier or more hopeful after they have bee
To cause a person to feel noticeably happier or more hopeful after they have been sad, worried, or low.
The surprise visit from her grandson lifted Mrs. Chen's spirits all week.
lift + someone's spirits
A short walk in the sunshine lifted Beatriz after a long, tiring day.
Three kind words from Ananya lifted Hugo after he failed his driving test for the second time.
The good news lifted the whole family out of their worried silence.
Music always lifts Santiago when he comes home feeling low.
- bring down
to make someone feel sad or discouraged
文法句型
lift + someone's spirits
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 6 (MAKE BETTER): sense 7 is specifically about making a person happier, not about improving the quality of things. The object is usually a person or 'someone's spirits.'
常見錯誤
8. (Used about fog, mist, or low cloud) to gradually thin out and clear away so tha
(Used about fog, mist, or low cloud) to gradually thin out and clear away so that visibility improves.
By mid-morning the fog had lifted and the valley below became visible.
fog / mist lifts
The thick mist refused to lift all day, closing the mountain road.
As the cloud lifted, the pilot could finally see the runway lights.
The search party waited on the hillside until the morning haze finally lifted.
A cold wind swept through and the low cloud lifted within minutes.
- close in
when fog or darkness moves in and reduces visibility
文法句型
fog / mist / cloud + lifts
用法筆記
Subject is always a weather phenomenon — most commonly fog, mist, cloud, or haze. Never used transitively with this meaning.
常見錯誤
9. To officially cancel or withdraw a rule, law, restriction, or penalty so that it
To officially cancel or withdraw a rule, law, restriction, or penalty so that it no longer applies.
Minister Okonjo lifted the travel ban between Lagos and Accra after six months of closed borders.
lift + [ban / restriction / sanction]
At Councillor Zainab's urging, the Durban city council voted to lift the teenage curfew during the December holiday season.
Jakarta's lockdown was finally lifted on a Monday morning, and Mateo walked to his favourite coffee stall for the first time in months.
President Mbeki announced that trade sanctions against Zimbabwe were lifted after the peace agreement was signed in Harare.
The school decided to lift its ban on students using phones at lunch.
- impose
to officially put a rule, ban, or restriction into effect
文法句型
lift + ban / restriction / sanction
用法筆記
Frequently used in passive voice: 'the ban was lifted,' 'restrictions have been lifted.' Common in news reporting and official announcements.
10. To take something that belongs to someone else, especially from a shop or public
To take something that belongs to someone else, especially from a shop or public place, without permission and without any intention of returning it.
Someone lifted Zofia's purse from the back of her chair at the café.
informal: lift = steal
The shop assistant noticed a teenager trying to lift a pair of sunglasses.
Thieves lifted three valuable paintings from the gallery during the fire alarm.
Dimitri caught a pickpocket trying to lift his wallet on the crowded bus.
Security cameras showed a man lifting goods from the supermarket shelf.
文法句型
lift + something
用法筆記
Informal; use 'steal' in formal speech and writing. Often implies a quick, opportunistic taking rather than a planned robbery.
常見錯誤
11. To take someone else's creative or intellectual work — such as a passage of writ
To take someone else's creative or intellectual work — such as a passage of writing, a melody, or an idea — and present it as though it were your own original creation.
The journalist was fired for lifting entire paragraphs from another newspaper.
lift + [text / idea / material] from
A famous songwriter accused the pop star of lifting the melody from a 1970s hit.
Jasper lifted three paragraphs from a travel blog for his essay, and the plagiarism check flagged it instantly.
The director admitted that he had lifted several scenes from an older film.
Critics noticed that the author had lifted key ideas from an obscure academic paper.
- plagiarise
the formal, precise term for taking someone's work and claiming it as your own
- copy
broader and less negative; can be done with or without permission
- rip off
very informal and disapproving; implies a blatant, shameless copy
- credit
to formally acknowledge the original creator of a work or idea
文法句型
lift + text / idea / material + from
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 10 (STEAL INFORMALLY): sense 11 is specifically about taking creative or intellectual material and claiming authorship. Sense 10 is about physically taking objects.