aloft

1 of 2

adverb

Synonyms of aloftnext
1
: at or to a great height
measuring the winds aloft
2
: in the air
especially : in flight (as in an airplane)
meals served aloft
3
: at, on, or to the masthead or the higher rigging
went aloft to unfurl the sails

aloft

2 of 2

preposition

: on top of : above
bright signs aloft hotels

Examples of aloft in a Sentence

Adverb The balloon stayed aloft for days. the ease with which he can hold a ballerina aloft with one hand is awesome
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adverb
The flowers, which are available in beautiful shades of pink, red, purple, or white, are held aloft on 18-inch stems. Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Feb. 2026 On a frigid white January afternoon in 1982, an airplane took off from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport for Florida, remained aloft for about 30 seconds, and then stalled out and collided with the 14th Street Bridge, plunging into the ice-floe-studded waters of the Potomac River. Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2026 The Wright Brothers made the first-ever successful powered flight back in 1903, getting their Wright Flyer (also known as Flyer 1) aloft over the dunes of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Mike Wall, Space.com, 26 Jan. 2026 That evening, even more people gathered on Main Street, holding their phone flashlights aloft in a show of solidarity against ICE. Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 26 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for aloft

Word History

Etymology

Adverb

Middle English, from Old Norse ā lopt, from ā on, in + lopt air — more at on, loft

Preposition

Middle English alofte, derivative of alofte aloft entry 1

First Known Use

Adverb

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Preposition

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of aloft was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Aloft.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aloft. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.

Kids Definition

aloft

adverb or adjective
ə-ˈlȯft
1
: in the air
especially : in flight
2
: at, on, or to the higher rigging of a sailing ship

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