Definition

A door or panel at the back of a vehicle that can be opened upwards to allow access to the cargo area.

Example

He opened the liftgate to load the groceries into the car.

Conversation

Did you see how the liftgate on my car got stuck yesterday?

Yeah, that looked frustrating! What did you do?

I had to manually pull it down; it was such a hassle.

I can imagine! I hope it gets fixed soon.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Liftgate → The word is formed from "lift" (from Old English "lyftan", meaning to raise or elevate) and "gate" (from Old English "geat", meaning an opening or entrance). A liftgate refers to a gate that can be raised or elevated, typically found on vehicles for loading and unloading.

Memory Tip

Think of 'raising' ('lift') an 'opening' ('gate') to remember that a liftgate is a gate that can be lifted up.

Visually Confused Words