loft

1 of 2

noun

ˈlȯft 

1

: an upper room or floor : attic

2

a

: a gallery in a church or hall

b

: one of the upper floors of a warehouse or business building especially when not partitioned

living in a converted loft

c

: hayloft

3

a

: the backward slant of the face of a golf-club head

b

: the act of lofting

4

: the thickness of a fabric or insulating material (such as goose down)

loftlike

ˈlȯft-ˌlīk 

adjective

loft

2 of 2

verb

lofted; lofting; lofts

transitive verb

1

: to place, house, or store in a loft

2

: to propel through the air or into space

lofted a long hit to center

instruments lofted by a powerful rocket

3

: to lay out a full-sized working drawing of the lines and contours of (such as a ship's hull)

intransitive verb

1

: to propel a ball high into the air

2

: to rise high

Synonyms

Noun

• attic
• cockloft
• garret

Verb

• cast
• catapult
• chuck
• dash
• fire
• fling
• heave
• hurl
• hurtle
• launch
• lob
• peg
• pelt
• pitch
• sling
• throw
• toss

Examples of loft in a Sentence

Noun

The kids' bedroom has a loft.

He rents a converted loft.

Verb

He lofted a home run into the stands.

The explosion lofted dust high into the air.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The cast would consist of real twentysomethings, six artists living in a communal loft. —Emily Nussbaum, The New Yorker, 15 June 2024

Conversion of old office buildings into apartments, lofts and condos was underway, but local burghers saw the Super Bowl as a catalyst that could create a boom in downtown living. —M.l. Elrick, Detroit Free Press, 22 Apr. 2024

Verb

As the chemicals lofted into the air, the pollution spread as far as 16 states, according to a new study. —Kasha Patel, Washington Post, 19 June 2024

That’s when Enrique Hernández took a half swing and lofted a lazy popup to shallow right field. —Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 8 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English, air, sky, from Old Norse lopt; akin to Old High German luft air

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1518, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing loft

• choir loft

Kids Definition

loft

1 of 2 noun

ˈlȯft 

1

: an upper room or floor : attic

2

a

: a gallery in a church or hall

organ loft

b

: an upper floor of a warehouse or business building when not partitioned

c

: hayloft

3

: the backward slant of the face of a golf-club head

loft

2 of 2 verb

1

: to place, house, or store in a loft

2

: to strike or throw a ball so that it rises high in the air

lofted a high fly to center field