What does lift mean?
Lift is a versatile word used for moving something upward, rising, and removing a restriction or prohibition. Its most familiar everyday use as a noun is the British term for an elevator, although elsewhere it can mean the act of raising an object or person. A lift may also describe an improvement in mood, confidence, or performance. In informal British usage, lifting something can mean stealing it or copying written material without acknowledgment. The word appears in expressions involving weights, bans, spirits, and transportation: people lift weights, governments lift restrictions, and a friend can give someone a lift. Its simple, forceful sound suits the direct physical action, while its metaphorical uses convey improvement, encouragement, or the removal of something restrictive. Understanding both the everyday British meaning of “elevator” and the broader senses of raising or removing helps speakers use the word accurately across formal and informal contexts.
An elevator, especially in British English; the act of raising something or rising upward; a sudden increase in mood, confidence, or performance; or, informally, an act of theft or unauthorized copying.
"The lift stopped on the sixth floor, and the workers carried the piano upstairs."
The British sense meaning “elevator” is especially prominent in everyday British usage. The informal senses “theft” and “unauthorized copying” are restricted and informal.
To raise or move something upward, rise into the air, remove a restriction, or, informally, steal or copy something without permission.
"The court lifted the order after hearing the appeal."
The informal meaning “copy or plagiarize” is especially associated with British English; “steal” is also informal in this sense.
The plural is especially common in the British sense “elevators”; other senses are countable or uncountable according to their use.
"The lifts were out of service all morning."
One word shifts across the Atlantic: British speakers say “lift” for what Americans call an “elevator.”
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does lift come from?
The English verb comes from Old English liftan, meaning “to raise” or “lift,” which developed from a Proto-Germanic root associated with raising. The verb became Middle English liften and eventually acquired its present form, while the noun was formed from the same root. Related Germanic cognates include Dutch lichten, German lüften, and Swedish lyfta, all connected with lifting, raising, or removing a load.
Related word forms
How lift is actually used
In British English, “lift” commonly means an elevator, while American speakers usually use “elevator”; “give someone a lift” and “take the lift” are also characteristic British usages. In informal contexts, “lift” can mean steal or copy material without permission, although “lift” for copying is especially associated with British English.