diff --git a/doc/changes.md b/doc/changes.md
index 8b00070a1c..49311c65bf 100644
--- a/doc/changes.md
+++ b/doc/changes.md
@@ -244,6 +244,7 @@ master branch (aka work in progress branch)
 * `monad.map_comp` ~> `comp_map`
 * `state(_t).{read,write}` ~> `{get,put}` (general operations defined on any `monad_state_lift`)
 * deleted `monad.monad_transformer`
+* deleted `monad.lift{n}`. Use `f <$> a1 <*> ... <*> an` instead of `monad.lift{n} f a1 ... an`.
 
 v3.3.0 (14 September 2017)
 -------------
diff --git a/library/init/category/combinators.lean b/library/init/category/combinators.lean
index e45afc8d46..81a5322a3f 100644
--- a/library/init/category/combinators.lean
+++ b/library/init/category/combinators.lean
@@ -79,22 +79,4 @@ _root_.cond b t (return ())
 def unlessb {m : Type → Type} [monad m] (b : bool) (t : m unit) : m unit :=
 _root_.cond b (return ()) t
 
-def lift {m : Type u → Type v} [monad m] {α φ : Type u} (f : α → φ) (ma : m α) : m φ :=
-do a ← ma, return (f a)
-
-def lift₂ {m : Type u → Type v} [monad m] {α φ : Type u} (f : α → α → φ) (ma₁ ma₂: m α) : m φ :=
-do a₁ ← ma₁, a₂ ← ma₂, return (f a₁ a₂)
-
-def lift₃ {m : Type u → Type v} [monad m] {α φ : Type u} (f : α → α → α → φ)
-  (ma₁ ma₂ ma₃ : m α) : m φ :=
-do a₁ ← ma₁, a₂ ← ma₂, a₃ ← ma₃, return (f a₁ a₂ a₃)
-
-def lift₄ {m : Type u → Type v} [monad m] {α φ : Type u} (f : α → α → α → α → φ)
-  (ma₁ ma₂ ma₃ ma₄ : m α) : m φ :=
-do a₁ ← ma₁, a₂ ← ma₂, a₃ ← ma₃, a₄ ← ma₄, return (f a₁ a₂ a₃ a₄)
-
-def lift₅ {m : Type u → Type v} [monad m] {α φ : Type u} (f : α → α → α → α → α → φ)
-  (ma₁ ma₂ ma₃ ma₄ ma₅ : m α) : m φ :=
-do a₁ ← ma₁, a₂ ← ma₂, a₃ ← ma₃, a₄ ← ma₄, a₅ ← ma₅, return (f a₁ a₂ a₃ a₄ a₅)
-
 end monad