variants or face lift or face-lift
plural facelifts or face lifts or face-lifts
1
: plastic surgery on the face and neck to remove or reduce signs of aging (such as wrinkles or sagging skin)
[Robert] Redford's publicist of 33 years, Lois Smith, denies her client has had any sort of facelift, eye job or chemical peel. "He's never, never, never had cosmetic surgery," she says.People Weekly
Many face lifts last between five and 10 years, but the procedure can cause hematomas, bleeding and nerve damage …Mary Murphy
Technically, a face-lift "lifts" both the face and the neck, and many plastic surgeons believe the neck shows the more dramatic improvement.Vogue
2
: an alteration, restoration, or restyling (as of a building) intended especially to modernize
The facelift was intended to return the 95-year-old hall's acclaimed acoustics to original purity …US News & World Report
Over time, the building was given a $15 million face lift, which created a new entrance on Fifth Avenue, subdued but plush interiors and escalators.Carrie Donovan
All 48 models from kids bikes to $3,000 racing bikes were redesigned … and each got a color and graphics face-lift.Laura Loro
facelift transitive verb
or face-lift or less commonly face lift
facelifted or face-lifted also face lifted; facelifting or face-lifting also face lifting; facelifts or face-lifts also face lifts
… said she would like to add more parking and continue to work on facelifting the venue. Dean Manning
… a former vaudeville palace recently face-lifted into a glittering performing arts center. Priit Vesilind

Examples of facelift in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Getting a facelift has encouraged me to take good care of myself. Meirav Devash, Allure, 29 Feb. 2024 Playing in the Maravich Assembly Center is not facing a hostile environment but a building that deserves a facelift or a do-over. Wally Hall, arkansasonline.com, 4 Feb. 2024 The hotel has been through a few facelifts over the years. Brady MacDonald, Orange County Register, 29 Jan. 2024 The shacks, owned by the city of South Portland, had just undergone a facelift in October when they were repainted. NBC News, 15 Jan. 2024 While the road surface itself will get a facelift, the work involves a number of tasks. Jim Riccioli, Journal Sentinel, 23 Feb. 2024 Hotelier André Balazs subjected his acquisition to a facelift that erased much of its gritty and dilapidated charm. Myriam Gurba, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2024 By early 2002, a yearlong project to give the intersection a facelift was wrapping up. Matt Leclercq, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Feb. 2024 Meanwhile, legendary resorts Lux Belle Mare and Paradis Beachcomber just unveiled massive restorations in October, and Hotel Riu Palace Mauritius, a kitesurfers’ paradise, will emerge from its own facelift in May 2024. Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'facelift.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1926, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of facelift was in 1926

Dictionary Entries Near facelift

Cite this Entry

“Facelift.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/facelift. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

face-lift

noun
ˈfā-ˌslift
1
: plastic surgery on the face and neck to remove defects and imperfections (as wrinkles or sagging skin)
2
: an alteration, restoration, or remodeling (as of a building) intended especially to make more modern
face-lift verb

Medical Definition

facelift

noun
face·​lift
variants or face lift or face-lift
: plastic surgery on the face and neck to remove or reduce signs of aging (such as wrinkles or sagging skin)

called also rhytidectomy

facelift transitive verb
or face-lift also face lift
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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