heave 1 of 2

verb

ˈhēv How to pronounce heave (audio)
Definition of heavenext
1
as in to hoist
to lift with effort I heaved my duffel bag into the bus's overhead compartment

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to vomit
to discharge the contents of the stomach through the mouth heaved as soon as he stepped off the roller coaster

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to lift
to move from a lower to a higher place or position heaved the bucket from the bottom of the well

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to throw
to send through the air especially with a quick forward motion of the arm heaved the brick over the fence

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5
as in to gasp
to breathe hard, quickly, or with difficulty by the time he reached the top step of the tower, he was heaving

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heave

2 of 2

noun

as in thrust

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb heave contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of heave are boost, elevate, hoist, lift, raise, and rear. While all these words mean "to move from a lower to a higher place or position," heave implies lifting and throwing with great effort or strain.

heaved the heavy crate inside

When might boost be a better fit than heave?

The synonyms boost and heave are sometimes interchangeable, but boost suggests assisting to climb or advance by a push.

boosted his brother over the fence

How does the word elevate relate to other synonyms for heave?

Elevate may replace lift or raise especially when exalting or enhancing is implied.

elevated the taste of the public

When is hoist a more appropriate choice than heave?

The meanings of hoist and heave largely overlap; however, hoist implies lifting something heavy especially by mechanical means.

hoisted the cargo on board

Where would lift be a reasonable alternative to heave?

The words lift and heave are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, lift usually implies exerting effort to overcome resistance of weight.

lift the chair while I vacuum

When can raise be used instead of heave?

The words raise and heave can be used in similar contexts, but raise carries a stronger implication of bringing up to the vertical or to a high position.

scouts raising a flagpole

How do rear and raise relate to one another, in the sense of heave?

Rear may add an element of suddenness to raise.

suddenly reared itself up on its hind legs

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of heave
Verb
Later, heaving Victorian-era steel machines, monitored by twisthands — human machine operators overseeing the twisting, knitting and braiding of cotton into delicate lace — mechanized the industry. —Leah Dolan, CNN, 4 Feb. 2025 Kansas City was down 20-10 at the midway point of the fourth quarter when on third and 15, Mahomes backed up 10 yards and heaved the ball to wide receiver Tyreek Hill for a 44-yard gain. —Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 28 Jan. 2025
Noun
Thornton’s last heave banked off the glass and succeeded despite relentless man-to-man defense by Rice. —Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 7 Feb. 2025 My hand hurt from writing down every death, every instrument of killing: a knife, a .45 Colt, a rope, a heave into the sea. —Jes Aznar, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for heave
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heave
  1. hoist
  2. vomit
  3. lift
  4. throw
  5. gasp
  6. thrust
  7. hurl
  8. raise
Verb
  • Rescuers rappelled down from the aircraft, put harnesses on the boy and his father and hoisted them up.
    — Nicole Brown Chau, CBS News, 24 Feb. 2025
  • The video shows the helicopter flying over the pair, who could be seen waving at the crew, and eventually hoisting them up to safety.
    — Mirna Alsharif, NBC News, 23 Feb. 2025
Definition of hoist
Verb
  • Symptoms of poisoning are vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, irregular heartbeat, decreased appetite.
    — Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Feb. 2025
  • About 10 meters away, a man sitting on his bed vomited loudly.
    — ByMartin Enserink, science.org, 6 Feb. 2025
Definition of vomit
Verb
  • Until this week, the brothers were also banned from leaving Romania, a measure that prosecutors said on Thursday had been lifted.
    — Luiza Ilie, USA TODAY, 28 Feb. 2025
  • Elon Musk's company is targeting Monday evening (March 3) for Flight 8 of Starship, which will lift off from Starbase in South Texas, near the border city of Brownsville.
    — Mike Wall, Space.com, 28 Feb. 2025
Definition of lift
Verb
  • In addition to First Lady Michelle Obama and their daughters, Malia and Sasha, other guests included a trio of Jewish White House staffers who threw together an impromptu seder the year before while campaigning with Obama.
    — Penny Schwartz, Sun Sentinel, 6 Mar. 2025
  • Nunez kept trying to fight after correction officers stopped the battle, trying to stab an inmate who threw an object at him before officers pepper-sprayed Nunez into submission, the complaint alleges.
    — John Annese, New York Daily News, 6 Mar. 2025
Definition of throw
Verb
  • Photo: Courtesy of AMPAS The Winners … Best Picture: The Last Emperor Best Actor: Michael Douglas, Wall Street Best Actress: Cher, Moonstruck Best Director: Bernardo Bertolucci, The Last Emperor Half of the fun of poring over class photos is gasping at the most famous face tucked into the lineup.
    — Zach Schonfeld, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2025
  • The audience gasped seeing a lion cub cowering inside.
    — Michael Freeman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Feb. 2025
Definition of gasp
Noun
  • The movie, full of extraordinary footage, returns us to that moment when the promise of space carried a spiritual thrust.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 9 Mar. 2025
  • Together they are designed to provide the 8.8 million pounds of thrust to propel Orion to deep-space destinations.
    — Richard Tribou, Orlando Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2025
Definition of thrust
Verb
  • Apparently, my father approached the people hurling the insults and asked them to stop.
    — Scott Thompson, Fox News, 5 Mar. 2025
  • And even as South Carolina Republican Rep. Nancy Mace spent the beginning of 2025 hurling anti-trans slurs at Delaware Rep. Sarah McBride, the first out trans woman to serve in Congress, Democrats have largely remained silent.
    — Abby Monteil, Them, 4 Mar. 2025
Definition of hurl
Verb
  • The media shake-up celebrated by Trump has raised concerns among some in the industry who fear that access to reporting the truth will become increasingly difficult as credentials are revoked and outlets too favorable of the president may not provide full coverage.
    — Russel Honoré, Newsweek, 6 Mar. 2025
  • Just a few hours later, Israeli soldiers and police raided the house, guns raised, according to the family and several New York Times journalists who were there covering Zughayer's release.
    — Kat Lonsdorf, NPR, 6 Mar. 2025
Definition of raise

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Cite this Entry

“Heave.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heave. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on heave

Nglish: Translation of heave for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about heave

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