mackerel sky and mare's-tails make lofty ships carry low sails
Alternative form of mackerel sky and mare's-tails make tall ships carry low sails.
lofty
/ˈlɒfti/
adj 3name 1
Collocations
5ADJ.
existing, fair, false, grand, new, right
VERB + LOFTY
flower, fringes, heads, isn't, lives, promises, pull, range
LOFTY + NOUN
algiers, ambitions, athwart, brow, dust, e, expectations, heights
PREP.
from, in, in, into, on, upon, with
ADV.
thickly
Definitions
adj
1
High, tall, having great height or stature.
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.
On my left was a river, which came roaring down from a range of lofty mountains right before me to the south-east.
2
Idealistic, implying over-optimism.
a lofty goal
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.
that lofty pity with which prosperous folk are apt to remember their grandfathers
name
1
nickname for a tall (usually male) person
Thesaurus
Synonyms
adjective — of imposing height
- eminent
- soaring
- towering
adjective — of high moral or intellectual value
Antonyms
Idioms & Phrases
Example Bank
601
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 o
Wiktionary02
On my left was a river, which came roaring down from a range of lofty mountains right before me to the south-east.
Wiktionary03
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.
Wiktionary04
That's to me like a flower on lofty heights.
Tatoeba · #4164705
The world loves to blacken the radiant and to pull the lofty into the dust.
Tatoeba · #281876806
This mountain isn't a lofty one.
Tatoeba · #2840104Usage Notes
i Register
In some senses, lofty is marked as informal. Watch for register when choosing this word.
Your note
not saved0 chars