Meaning & use
forklift
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A small vehicle with two metal arms at the front that lift and carry heavy loads, used in warehouses and factories.
Grammar: Countable: one forklift, two forklifts; you can also say 'a forklift truck'.
Patterns
- drive a forklift
- a forklift operator
- load something with a forklift
He drives a forklift at the distribution center.
The forklift lifted the pallet onto the truck.
Forklifts are not allowed in this part of the store for safety reasons.
verbtransitive
To move or lift something using a forklift.
Grammar: Takes an object: forklift the boxes; usually used in work and logistics contexts.
Patterns
- forklift something onto something
- forklift something into something
They forklifted the crates into the container.
The workers forklifted the machinery onto the loading dock.
Word forms
| plural | forklifts |
|---|---|
| third person singular | forklifts |
| past tense | forklifted |
| past participle | forklifted |
| -ing form | forklifting |
Common combinations
- forklift operator
- The forklift operator needs a license to work here.
- forklift truck
- A forklift truck blocked the aisle while unloading.
- drive a forklift
- She learned to drive a forklift last summer.
- electric forklift
- The company switched to electric forklifts to cut emissions.
- forklift accident
- Most forklift accidents happen when loads are too heavy.
Synonyms and how they differ
- lift truck
- A more formal or industry term for the same machine; common in job ads and manuals.
- pallet truck
- A smaller hand-pushed device for moving pallets; it cannot lift loads high like a forklift.
- crane
- A tall machine that lifts very heavy objects, usually outdoors; a forklift works at ground level.
Word family
- forklifting noun
- The activity or job of moving goods with a forklift.
- forklifted adjective
- Moved or handled by a forklift, as in 'forklifted pallets'.
Commonly confused: forklift or forklift truck? forklift or crane?
forklift vs forklift truck
This is not a different thing; it is the full British name for the same vehicle.
forklift vs crane
Both lift heavy things, but a crane uses a cable and hook, while a forklift uses metal forks.
Practice
The workers used a forklift to ___ the heavy boxes onto the truck.
Choose one answer.
After 'to' we need the base form of the verb, so 'lift' is correct. 'Lifting' would need a different structure, and 'lifted' is past tense, which does not follow 'to' here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “forklift”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.