What does "uplift" mean?
The act or result of uplifting (in various senses).
Uplift
/ʌpˈlɪft/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The act or result of uplifting (in various senses).
- Grammar: uplift is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: abruptness, acclivity, acculturate, advance.
- Useful contrasts: abased, deflated, depraved.
- Usage evidence: As one who, in a tangled brake apart, / on some lithe snake, unheeded in the briar, / hath trodden heavily, and with backward start / flies, trembling at the head uplift in ire / and blue neck, swoln in many a glittering spire. / So slinks Androgeus, shuddering with dismay.
How to use "uplift"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "uplift" 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 "uplift" 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 "uplift" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "uplift" 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 "uplift" is acting as noun, verb, slang 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 "abruptness" 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 "uplift", 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 The act or result of uplifting (in various senses). countable, uncountable
"The EMR Regional timetable improvements also include a significant uplift in Sunday services."
- 2 a brassiere that lifts and supports the breasts wordnet
- 3 A tectonic upheaval, especially one that takes place in the process of mountain building. countable, uncountable
"Recent uplift of the Maine and Oregon coasts has not been enough to "undrown" the larger valleys; the shorelines are still submergent."
- 4 (geology) a rise of land to a higher elevation (as in the process of mountain building) wordnet
- 5 The picking up and loading of goods to be transported by a mover. countable, uncountable
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 A brassiere that raises the breasts. colloquial, countable, uncountable
"Dressed in a light silk brassiere and scanties, which was all she wore under her frock, she was unkind enough to say, "I think those uplift fakes of yours are a mistake, Sadie dear. They raise false expectations in the amorous male." "But my breasts are all right," said Sadie, hurt, and pushing her breasts up from under to prove they were in the right place[.]"
- 7 An increase in a fine or penalty due to aggravating circumstances. countable, uncountable
"The CMA fined the companies involved £3.4 million, which included uplifts for director level involvement."
Verb
- 1 To raise something or someone to a higher physical, social, moral, intellectual, spiritual or emotional level.
"Whether you find it by your power as a man, or because, being near the gods, a god has whispered you. Uplift our State; think upon your fame; your coming brought us luck, be lucky to us still, remember that it is better to rule over men than over a waste place, since neither walled town nor ship is anything if it be empty and no man within it."
- 2 fill with high spirits; fill with optimism wordnet
- 3 To raise something or someone to a higher physical, social, moral, intellectual, spiritual or emotional level.; To raise (a nonsentient species) into sentience.
"—genetically uplifted the ancestors of the saurs, and culturally—at least—uplifted the kraken. We are used to thinking of these species as wise and ancient, which indeed they are, but the octopods are their 'Elder Race.'"
- 4 lift up or elevate wordnet
- 5 To aggravate; to increase.
"A man who abused a Police Community Support Officer for being transgender has received an uplifted sentence at Mold Magistrates' Court... At Court the prosecutor applied for the sentence for the public order offence to be uplifted to reflect the hate crime aspect. This resulted in the Court imposing a greater penalty."
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 lift up from the earth, as by geologic forces wordnet
- 7 To be accepted for carriage on a flight.
- 8 To remove (a child) from a damaging home environment by a social welfare organization. New-Zealand
"In an affidavit supporting an application for a court order to uplift the child, a social worker said there were ongoing family violence issues between the baby's mother and father."
- 9 To remove (a document) from its current possessor and take it into one's own possession. Australia, transitive
- 10 To backport.
- 11 To pick up; take possession of. Northern-England
"In a Post by Northumbria Police:Sharp eyes on patrol! One of our eagle-eyed officers spotted a vehicle driving erratically in Lemington. The driver made off on foot, leaving the car behind - which has now been uplifted for having no insurance."
Example
"As one who, in a tangled brake apart, / on some lithe snake, unheeded in the briar, / hath trodden heavily, and with backward start / flies, trembling at the head uplift in ire / and blue neck, swoln in many a glittering spire. / So slinks Androgeus, shuddering with dismay."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "uplift"?
Common synonyms include: abruptness, acclivity, acculturate, advance, advancement, aggrandize.
How do you use "uplift" in a sentence?
As one who, in a tangled brake apart, / on some lithe snake, unheeded in the briar, / hath trodden heavily, and with backward start / flies, trembling at the head uplift in ire / and blue neck, swoln in many a glittering spire. / So slinks Androgeus, shuddering with dismay.
How do you pronounce "uplift"?
Pronounced /ʌpˈlɪft/.
Etymology
From up- + lift.