lofty

From Middle English lofty, lofti, lofte (“of high rank; noble; ornate”), equivalent to loft (“sky, firmament; upper room”) +‎ -y.

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: lŏftʹi, IPA^(key): /ˈlɒfti/
• (General American) enPR: lôftʹi, IPA^(key): /ˈlɔːfti/
• (cot–caught merger) enPR: lŏftʹi, IPA^(key): /ˈlɑfti/
• Rhymes: -ɒfti, -ɔːfti

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lofty (comparative loftier, superlative loftiest)

1. High, tall, having great height or stature.
   • 1769, Firishta, translated by Alexander Dow, Tales translated from the Persian of Inatulla of Delhi, volume I, Dublin: P. and W. Wilson et al., page iv:

     The lofty mountains roſe faint to the ſight and loſt their foreheads in the diſtant ſkies: the little hills, cloathed in darker green and ſkirted with embroidered vales, diſcovered the ſecret haunts of kids and bounding roes.

   • 1862, George Borrow, chapter 98, in Wild Wales‎, archived from the original on 24 December 2011:

     On my left was a river, which came roaring down from a range of lofty mountains right before me to the south-east.

   • 1885, Richard F. Burton, “Night 551”, in The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night:

     When the night was half spent, I rose and walked on, till the day broke in all its beauty and the sun rose over the heads of the lofty hills and athwart the low gravelly plains.

2. Idealistic, implying over-optimism.

   a lofty goal

   • 3 November 2013, Delme Parfitt, “Cardiff City 1 - 0 Swansea City: Steven Caulker heads Bluebirds to South Wales derby win”, in Wales Online:

     A goal from Steven Caulker, just after the hour mark, was enough to hand victory to Malky Mackay's men, with Swansea falling some way short of the lofty standards they have set previously at this level.

3. Extremely proud; arrogant; haughty.
   • 1886, Frederic Harrison, The Choice of Books:

     that lofty pity with which prosperous folk are apt to remember their grandfathers

• (having great height or stature): noble, honorable

• (antonym(s) of “having great height or stature”): mean, ignoble
• (antonym(s) of “idealistic”): familiar, vulgar

• aloft