heave

1 of 2

verb

ˈhēv 

heaved or hove ˈhōv  ; heaving

transitive verb

1

: lift, raise

heaved the trunk onto the table

2

: throw, cast

heaved her books on the floor

3

: to utter with obvious effort or with a deep breath

heave a sigh of relief

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

heave a line

6

obsolete : elevate

intransitive verb

1

a

: to rise and fall rhythmically

The boat heaved up and down on the waves.

b

: pant

runners heaving at the finish line

2

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

3

: to rise or become thrown or raised up

Roads had begun to heave with frost.

4

: retch, vomit

nearly heaved at the gruesome sight

5

: to strain or labor to do something difficult : struggle

heaver noun

heave

2 of 2

noun

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

Phrases

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)

Synonyms

Verb

• hoist

Choose the Right Synonym for 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

Examples of heave in a Sentence

Verb

She heaved the door shut.

The quarterback heaved the ball down the field.

She sat down and heaved a sigh of relief.

Noun

We lifted the box onto the table with a heave.

He gave the rope a mighty heave.

The quarterback uncorked a mighty heave.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

When videos of Serwa heaving a knuckler at 88.5 mph hit the internet this winter, the baseball world noticed. —Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 19 June 2025

The green folds of cliffs chanted our imagined names, caught winds heaving an ocean of clouds that piled like seawrack muffling the mill’s whistle, windrows of rain gathered upon the mountain’s emerald stacks, the black crown of the day’s celebration. —Garrett Hongo, New Yorker, 2 June 2025

Noun

Wilson, in fairness, has completed some downfield throws, including a heave to Slayton down the left sideline last Thursday against an all-out blitz. —Pat Leonard, Hartford Courant, 9 June 2025

That's especially true of his back-breaking heave in Game 5 that signaled the Celtics would be lifting the Larry O'Brien Trophy that night. —Bobby Krivitsky, Forbes.com, 16 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

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

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 6

Noun

circa 1571, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing heave

• frost heave
• gave him the heave-ho
• got the old heave-ho
• heave-ho
• heave in/into sight
• heave into view
• the (old) heave-ho

Rhymes for heave

• breve
• cleave
• cleeve
• cleve
• eave
• eve
• grieve
• leave
• lieve
• neve
• reeve
• sheave

Kids Definition

heave

1 of 2 verb

ˈhēv 

heaved or hove ˈhōv  ; heaving

1

: to raise with effort

heave a trunk onto a truck

2

: throw entry 1 sense 1a, cast, hurl

heave a rock

3

: to utter with effort

heave a sigh

4

: to rise and fall repeatedly

the runner's chest was heaving

5

: to be thrown up or raised

the ground heaved during the earthquake

6

: vomit entry 2 sense 1

heaver noun

heave

2 of 2 noun

1

a

: an effort to heave or raise

b

: a forceful throw : cast

2

: a rhythmic rising (as of the chest in breathing)

Medical Definition

heave

verb

ˈhēv 

heaved; heaving

transitive verb

: vomit

got carsick and heaved his lunch

intransitive verb

: to undergo retching or vomiting