loftily

[ lawf-tuh-lee, lof- ]

adverb

1. high in the air; in an imposing or towering manner:

   The speaker raised his fist loftily skywards as he spoke, drawing forth cheers from the crowd.

   The palace stands loftily at an imposing 2,000 ft above sea level, with an unhindered birds-eye view of a 13th century fort.

2. in a way that is elevated in rank, style, tone, or sentiment:

   The editorial begins loftily with a quote from the Roman author Horace.

3. in an arrogant or condescendingly superior way:

   I'd be more impressed if the official commissioned a few economic reports, rather than loftily dismissing the arguments of his challengers as “nonsense.”

Other Words From

• o·ver·loft·i·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of loftily¹

lofty ( def ) + -ly

Example Sentences

Mr. Kramer, whose company is based in Alabama, described his motives loftily, saying he had wanted to draw attention to the potential abuse of artificial intelligence in campaigns.

From New York Times

On March 25, 1893, 3,500 fans — some in the bleachers, some in grandstands, and 200 seated loftily in their own carriages — rang cowbells and blew horns to herald the entrance of the Angels.

From Los Angeles Times

The president - a wealthy businessman and former liberation struggle icon, once backed by Nelson Mandela to succeed him - loftily declared that he was innocent.

From BBC

Political allies warn he will need to consult lawmakers, unions and civil society more and do away with the top-down governing style of his first term which he himself loftily described as “Jupiterian”.

From Reuters

When his popularity underwent the second-quickest plunge in French presidential history, one of his advisers, asked what mistakes the government had made, answered loftily: “We were probably too intelligent, too subtle.”

From Washington Post