verb
sift
sihft
Sift (verb) means to pass a dry substance through a sieve to remove lumps or separate fine from coarse. Example: “Sift the flour and baking powder together before mixing.”
verb
1
To pass a dry substance through a sieve to remove lumps or separate fine from coarse.
"Sift the flour and baking powder together before mixing."
"She sifted the sand looking for tiny shells."
2
To examine something closely and methodically, especially to separate what matters from what doesn't.
"Detectives sifted through hours of CCTV footage."
"It took weeks to sift the useful data from the noise."
How to use sift
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo pass through a sieve, or, more broadly, to go carefully through something to find what's useful or true.
Common pairings
sift through evidence
sift flour
sift out the truth
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Word forms
- Plural
- sifts
- Third person singular
- sifts
- Past tense
- sifted
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
_____ the flour and baking powder together before mixing.
Etymology
From Old English siftan, an old Germanic verb related to the noun sieve.
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for sift
See all rhymes for sift →Frequently asked questions
What does “sift” mean?
The word “sift” means to pass a dry substance through a sieve to remove lumps or separate fine from coarse. In plain terms, to pass through a sieve, or, more broadly, to go carefully through something to find what's useful or true.
How do you pronounce “sift”?
“Sift” is pronounced sihft (/sɪft/ in IPA).
How do you use “sift” in a sentence?
Here is “sift” used in a sentence: “Sift the flour and baking powder together before mixing.”
What part of speech is “sift”?
“Sift” is a verb.
Where does the word “sift” come from?
The word “sift” comes from Old English. From Old English siftan, an old Germanic verb related to the noun sieve.
How many meanings does “sift” have?
“Sift” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to pass a dry substance through a sieve to remove lumps or separate fine from coarse.
