heave

1 of 2

verb

heaved or hove ˈhōv How to pronounce heave (audio) ; 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)
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
What Is Life is as in-your-face as its title is existential, loaded with whomping basslines, heaving tech house and old-school flourishes made for dark rooms — a nod to the Chrises’ U.K.-dance roots. Katie Bain, Billboard, 11 Oct. 2024 Pacing in a state of agitation, its flanks heave with every breath and its mouth drips with saliva. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Sep. 2024
Noun
Even with that, the French nearly forced overtime with a heave by Gabby Williams as regulation time expired. Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 11 Aug. 2024 The shallow reef break that heaves south swell into a brick wall of water helped to define the best in surfing at this moment, and the elimination of Brazil's Gabriel Medina, a three-time world champion, from silver and gold contention showed the location's unforgiving influence. Dennis Romero, NBC News, 6 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for heave 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'heave.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of heave was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near heave

Cite this Entry

“Heave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heave. Accessed 15 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

heave

1 of 2 verb
heaved or hove ˈhōv How to pronounce heave (audio) ; 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
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
heaved; heaving

transitive verb

: vomit
got carsick and heaved his lunch

intransitive verb

: to undergo retching or vomiting

More from Merriam-Webster on heave

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!