facelift

noun

face·​lift ˈfās-ˌlift How to pronounce facelift (audio)
variants or face lift or face-lift
plural facelifts or face lifts or face-lifts
1
: plastic surgery on the face and neck to remove or reduce signs of aging (such as wrinkles or sagging skin)
[Robert] Redford's publicist of 33 years, Lois Smith, denies her client has had any sort of facelift, eye job or chemical peel. "He's never, never, never had cosmetic surgery," she says.People Weekly
Many face lifts last between five and 10 years, but the procedure can cause hematomas, bleeding and nerve damage …Mary Murphy
Technically, a face-lift "lifts" both the face and the neck, and many plastic surgeons believe the neck shows the more dramatic improvement.Vogue
2
: an alteration, restoration, or restyling (as of a building) intended especially to modernize
The facelift was intended to return the 95-year-old hall's acclaimed acoustics to original purity …US News & World Report
Over time, the building was given a $15 million face lift, which created a new entrance on Fifth Avenue, subdued but plush interiors and escalators.Carrie Donovan
All 48 models from kids bikes to $3,000 racing bikes were redesigned … and each got a color and graphics face-lift.Laura Loro
facelift transitive verb
or face-lift or less commonly face lift
facelifted or face-lifted also face lifted; facelifting or face-lifting also face lifting; facelifts or face-lifts also face lifts
… said she would like to add more parking and continue to work on facelifting the venue. Dean Manning
… a former vaudeville palace recently face-lifted into a glittering performing arts center. Priit Vesilind

Examples of facelift in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
To be clear about the Fed’s actions, to suggest that higher rates would strengthen the dollar is like saying a facelift will fix a broken leg. John Tamny, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025 Suites recently received a contemporary facelift following multimillion-dollar upgrades to standard rooms, and the spa’s design and programming have likewise been modernized. Lydia Price, Travel + Leisure, 22 Feb. 2025 In a boom era for big music venues, the Shrine gets a facelift for its 100th anniversary. Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2025 This facelift comes as the Barbican has shaken up its top brass over the last year. George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 20 Feb. 2025 The first location opened its doors in Geneva in 1997 with a focus on laser treatments, and the clinic has since expanded its purview to include botox and filler injections; facials and peels; body sculpting treatments, and cosmetic procedures including facelifts. Noor Lobad, WWD, 13 Feb. 2025 The facelift will include a new scoreboard that will be installed in time for 2025-26. Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025 For its golden anniversary, Facets is getting a marketing facelift. Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 28 Jan. 2025 The legendary arcade shooter gets a graphical facelift. Gabriel Zamora, PCMAG, 22 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1926, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of facelift was in 1926

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Cite this Entry

“Facelift.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/facelift. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

face-lift

noun
ˈfā-ˌslift
1
: plastic surgery on the face and neck to remove defects and imperfections (as wrinkles or sagging skin)
2
: an alteration, restoration, or remodeling (as of a building) intended especially to make more modern
face-lift verb

Medical Definition

facelift

noun
face·​lift
variants or face lift or face-lift
: plastic surgery on the face and neck to remove or reduce signs of aging (such as wrinkles or sagging skin)

called also rhytidectomy

facelift transitive verb
or face-lift also face lift

More from Merriam-Webster on facelift

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