heave

verb \ ˈhēv \

|Updated on: 2 Aug 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: heave in a Sentence

Definition of heave

heaved or hove play \ˈhōv\; heaving

transitive verb

1 obsolete : elevate

2 : lift, raise

heaved the trunk onto the table

3 : throw, cast

heaved her books on the floor

4 a : to cause to swell or rise

a spent horse gasping and heaving his chest

Frost had heaved the sidewalk.

b geology : to displace (something, such as a rock stratum or a mineral vein) especially by a fault

5 : to utter with obvious effort or with a deep breath

heave a sigh of relief

6 : to draw, pull, or haul on (something, such as a rope)

heave a line

intransitive verb

1 : to strain or labor to do something difficult : struggle

2 : retch, vomit

nearly heaved at the gruesome sight

3 a : to rise and fall rhythmically

The boat heaved up and down on the waves.

b : pant

runners heaving at the finish line

4 a : pull, push

heaving on a rope

b : to move a ship in a specified direction or manner

c past tense usually hove : to move in an indicated way

the ship hove into view

5 : to rise or become thrown or raised up

Roads had begun to heave with frost.

—

heaver

noun

— heave to

: to halt the headway of a ship (as by positioning a sailboat with the jib aback and the rudder turned sharply to windward)

See heave defined for English-language learners

See heave defined for kids

Examples of heave in a Sentence

She heaved the door shut.
The quarterback heaved the ball down the field.
She sat down and heaved a sigh of relief.

Recent Examples of heave from the Web

A few days earlier, Trump had threatened to veto a spending bill that Republicans heaved over the finish line to keep the government open through September.

— amber phillips, Washington Post, "This GOP congressman just demonstrated what a headache retirements will be for Republicans in 2018," 27 Mar. 2018
Would there be many people -- except perhaps the remaining Facebook shareholders -- who wouldn't heave a sigh of relief?

— leonid bershidsky, chicagotribune.com, "Zuckerberg can't fix Facebook's quagmire," 23 Mar. 2018
Padres pitchers who were not heaved from the game also had a bad time.

— dennis lin, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Padres lose Wil Myers to leg contusion in 16-0 beatdown at Coors Field," 17 Sep. 2017
Donelda Pulex stepped off the airplane into the sun, clutching her 5-year-old daughter's hand and burst into heaving sobs.

— colleen long, The Christian Science Monitor, "Families reunited, then deported to Guatemala," 12 July 2018
Their muscles ached, their lungs heaved, their bodies creaked and groaned.

— rory smith, New York Times, "Croatia Digs Deeper, Burying England’s World Cup Dreams," 12 July 2018
Michael heaved a life ring to him and pulled him to the Alona Rahab.

— earl swift, Outside Online, "The Incredible True Story of the Henrietta C.," 20 June 2018
Demi Moore's Stunt Otisha Woolbright heaved 50-pound trays of chickens into industrial ovens every day at her job in the deli and bakery of a Walmart in Jacksonville, Florida.

— Anchorage Daily News, "Pregnancy discrimination is rampant inside America’s biggest companies," 16 June 2018
Foles heaved a toss to Nelson Agholor, but the ball was behind his receiver and Bausby knocked it away.

— jeff mclane, Philly.com, "Eagles practice observations: Carson Wentz does more (again); Sidney Jones intercepts; De'Vante Bausby gets some looks," 29 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'heave.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of heave

Middle English heven, from Old English hebban; akin to Old High German hevan to lift, Latin capere to take

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

heave Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of heave

lift, raise, rear, elevate, hoist, heave, boost mean to move from a lower to a higher place or position. lift usually implies exerting effort to overcome resistance of weight.

- lift the chair while I vacuum

raise carries a stronger implication of bringing up to the vertical or to a high position.

- scouts raising a flagpole

rear may add an element of suddenness to raise.

- suddenly reared itself up on its hind legs

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

- elevated the taste of the public

hoist implies lifting something heavy especially by mechanical means.

- hoisted the cargo on board

heave implies lifting and throwing with great effort or strain.

- heaved the heavy crate inside

boost suggests assisting to climb or advance by a push.

- boosted his brother over the fence

heave

noun

Definition of heave

1 a : an effort to pull or raise something

with each heave of the rope

b : an act or instance of throwing : hurl

gave the ball a heave toward the basket

2 : an upward motion : rising; especially : a rhythmical rising

the heave of his chest

3 geology : horizontal displacement especially by the faulting of a rock

the total heave of the strata

4 heaves plural in form but singular or plural in construction, veterinary medicine : chronic pulmonary emphysema of the horse resulting in difficult expiration, heaving of the flanks, and a persistent cough

See heave defined for English-language learners