Meaning & use
a loft
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Meanings
phrasecountable
a phrase meaning one upper room or open space just under the roof of a building, often used for storage or living.
Grammar: The article 'a' makes it singular and countable; use 'lofts' for more than one.
Patterns
- a loft in a house
- convert a loft
- sleep in a loft
They turned a loft into a small bedroom with a skylight.
We keep old boxes in a loft above the garage.
phrasecountableAmerican
a phrase meaning one apartment on an upper floor of an old factory or warehouse, usually with high ceilings and open space.
Grammar: Often used in city housing contexts: 'a loft downtown'.
Patterns
- rent a loft
- a loft apartment
- live in a loft
She rents a loft in an old textile building.
A loft downtown can be expensive because the space is large.
Word forms
| plural | lofts |
|---|
Common combinations
- loft conversion
- A loft conversion added two rooms to their house.
- loft space
- The loft space is too hot in summer to use as an office.
- loft apartment
- He moved into a loft apartment near the river.
Synonyms and how they differ
- attic
- Attic is the more common everyday word for the space under the roof, especially when used for storage; loft sounds a little more architectural or British in housing ads.
- garret
- Garret is a literary or old-fashioned word for a small, poor upper room; it suggests cramped conditions, not modern style.
Word family
Commonly confused: a loft or loft?
a loft vs loft
The only difference is the article 'a'. 'A loft' is not a separate word; it is just the noun 'loft' with the indefinite article.
Practice
They converted ___ into a studio where the artist could work.
Choose one answer.
'A loft' fits because the sentence needs a singular countable noun phrase with an article. 'Loft' alone would need a determiner like 'the' or 'their'; 'lofted' is an adjective, and 'lofting' is a gerund that does not fit this object position.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a loft”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.