Lofty
What it means
Noble or impressively ambitious in purpose and ideals.
Reach for it when describing an elevated aim while leaving room to test its practicality
Their lofty promise of universal access was matched by a funded schedule.
Words to choose between 7
| playful | |
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| professional | |
| formal | |
| literary |
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playful
Fits when scale and impressiveness matter in a less formal voice
Careful Grand may praise appearance without moral substance.
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professional
Fits when difficulty and scale matter more than moral elevation
Careful Ambitious can be self-serving or unrealistic.
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professional
aspirational
Fits when the statement sets a desired future standard
Careful Aspirational clearly admits the standard has not yet been reached.
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professional
Fits when high principles guide the vision
Careful Idealistic may imply distance from practical constraints.
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formal
Fits when ethical seriousness is being praised
Careful High-minded can sound self-righteous or detached.
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formal
Fits when moral worth is the central praise
Careful Noble can describe character and does not imply ambitious scale.
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literary
Fits when refined purpose or style fits formal prose
Careful Elevated can sound abstract and may concern rank or height.
Opposites 3
- base
- petty
- ignoble
Common phrases 3
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lofty goal
A lofty goal needs milestones that expose weak assumptions.
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lofty ideal
Equal treatment remained a lofty ideal worth making concrete.
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lofty ambition
Their lofty ambition survived the first difficult budget review.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Dvortygirl, American accent, from Wikimedia Commons, public domain Updated