lift-off
/ˈlɪft.ɒf/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈlɪft.ɑːf/ (ame, ipa)
lift-off — noun
1. the moment when a rocket or spacecraft rises straight up from the launch pad and
the moment when a rocket or spacecraft rises straight up from the launch pad and begins its flight
Salma counted down the final seconds before lift-off at the desert launch site.
before lift-off — the moment a rocket leaves the ground
Thick orange flames burst from the engines two seconds after lift-off.
Bad weather delayed the lift-off of the Mars probe by three days.
The crowd cheered loudly as the giant rocket made a perfect lift-off.
Chidi felt the whole tower shake during lift-off and gripped his seat.
- touchdown
the moment a returning craft lands back on the ground
- splashdown
landing of a returning capsule on water
用法筆記
Often used with a preceding action that frames the launch moment: 'seconds before / after lift-off', 'during lift-off'. Subject of the launch is usually a rocket, spacecraft, or probe.
常見錯誤
2. the point at which a business, idea, or career starts to grow or succeed very qu
the point at which a business, idea, or career starts to grow or succeed very quickly
The small bakery saw real lift-off once Imani posted its cakes online.
figurative: lift-off = sudden rapid success
Sales were flat for months, then the new app reached lift-off in spring.
collocation: reach lift-off
Felipe's music career finally achieved lift-off after one song went viral.
The charity hoped a famous patron would give the campaign instant lift-off.
After years of slow sales, the family farm shop finally hit lift-off.
- breakthrough
a single decisive moment of success; lift-off stresses the fast rise that follows
- take-off
also used figuratively for rapid growth, slightly more common in economics writing
- surge
a sharp rise, but without the sense of finally getting started
- stagnation
a period with no growth at all, the opposite of sudden success
- decline
a steady fall rather than a rise
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: this figurative use never describes a physical launch. It almost always pairs with verbs of achievement — 'reach', 'achieve', 'hit', 'give something lift-off' — and the subject is a venture, career, or campaign.
常見錯誤
lift-off — phrasal verb
- lift-offbase form
- lift-offs3rd person singular
- lift-offing-ing form
- lift-offedpast simple
1. if an aircraft or rocket lifts off, it goes up away from the ground at the start
if an aircraft or rocket lifts off, it goes up away from the ground at the start of a flight
The helicopter lifted off from the hospital roof with the injured climber aboard.
lift off from [place]
Aoi watched the rocket lift off in a cloud of white smoke.
The drone lifted off smoothly and rose above the rooftops within seconds.
Strong winds meant the small plane could not lift off until noon.
- land
to come down onto the ground at the end of a flight
- touch down
the moment of landing back on a surface
文法句型
[aircraft/rocket] + lift off
用法筆記
Intransitive only: the aircraft or rocket is the subject, and you never put a direct object after it. Often followed by 'from + place' to name the launch spot.