What does "sift" mean?
An act of sifting.
Sift
/sɪft/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An act of sifting.
- Grammar: sift is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: air, analyze, appraise, argue.
- Useful contrasts: coarse ground, admit, combine.
- Usage evidence: If you sift through barrels of dirt, you may eventually find a flake of gold.
How to use "sift"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "sift" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "sift" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "sift" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "sift" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "sift" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "air" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "sift", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An act of sifting.
Verb
- 1 To sieve or strain (something). transitive
- 2 distinguish and separate out wordnet
- 3 To separate or scatter (things) as if by sieving. transitive
- 4 separate by passing through a sieve or other straining device to separate out coarser elements wordnet
- 5 To examine (something) carefully.; To scrutinize (someone or something) carefully so as to find the truth. archaic, dated, transitive
"As neere as I could ſift him on that argument, On ſome apparant danger ſeene in him, Aym‘d at your Highneſſe, no inueterate malice."
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 check and sort carefully wordnet
- 7 To examine (something) carefully.; [with through] To carefully go through a set of objects, or a collection of information, in order to find something. transitive
"Sifting through the work of great orators like Philostratus and Quintilian they identify numerous examples of classical irony, metaphor, comparison, etc. which are missing in Paul."
- 8 move as if through a sieve wordnet
- 9 To move data records up in memory to make space to insert further records. dated, transitive
Proper Noun
- 1 Initialism of scale-invariant feature transform. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
- 2 Initialism of Selection Instrument Flight Training. US, abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
Example
"If you sift through barrels of dirt, you may eventually find a flake of gold."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "sift"?
Common synonyms include: air, analyze, appraise, argue, assess, assort.
How do you use "sift" in a sentence?
If you sift through barrels of dirt, you may eventually find a flake of gold.
How do you pronounce "sift"?
Pronounced /sɪft/.
Etymology
From Middle English syften, from Old English siftan, from Proto-West Germanic *siftijan.