hoist

verb \ ˈhȯist , chiefly dialectal ˈhīst \

|Updated on: 10 Aug 2018

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Examples: hoist in a Sentence

Definition of hoist

hoisted; hoisting; hoists

transitive verb

1 : lift, raise; especially : to raise into position by or as if by means of tackle

hoist a flag

hoist the sails

Cargo was hoisted up into the ship.

2 : drink 1

hoist a few beers

intransitive verb

: to become hoisted : rise

let it hoist to the upper deck

—

hoister

noun

See hoist defined for English-language learners

See hoist defined for kids

Examples of hoist in a Sentence

The steel girders were hoisted into place and securely welded.
The engine was hoisted out with a winch.
The cargo was hoisted up onto the ship.
He stopped at a bar after work to hoist a few beers with his friends.
She hoisted a last-second shot that would have won the game if it had gone in.

Recent Examples of hoist from the Web

After the service, bagpipes played as dozens of uniformed officers lined Lehigh Avenue and Hutchins’ casket was carried from the church and hoisted onto a fire truck for his final ride.

— kelly brennan, Philly.com, "Firefighter who died during training exercise is praised at funeral," 11 July 2018
The main lanes of Interstate 10 West at Dominion Drive, along with eastbound and westbound traffic on Dominion, will be closed from Friday evening until Tuesday morning so crews can hoist 46.5-ton beams to build a bridge.

— bruce selcraig, San Antonio Express-News, "I-10 and downtown highway closures may snarl your weekend," 29 June 2018
Brown then qualified for regionals in weightlifting as a 139-pound ninth grader by bench pressing more than 200 pounds and hoisting 160 pounds over his head in the clean and jerk.

— j.c. carnahan, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Lake Brantley tailback Amani Brown thrives despite losing right foot as a child," 15 June 2018
Construction crews who did the job worked on a heavy, open-air platform under the restaurant to do the new flooring, hoisted about 400 feet above the ground.

— christine clarridge, The Seattle Times, "Really?! Fog thwarts reveal of Space Needle’s glass-paneled observation deck," 18 May 2018
Rescuers battling thick clouds finally picked out the plane, hoisted everyone to a sea-level staging area, then flew them back to Ketchikan.

— zaz hollander, Anchorage Daily News, "‘Retirement dream job’: Pilot of plane that crashed near Ketchikan is former Navy and commercial aviator," 11 July 2018
The officers hoisted Webster up and dragged him out into the night, and one by one the other officers and officials left.

— paul collins, BostonGlobe.com, "What lies in the lab: The gruesome murder at Harvard that transfixed New England," 11 July 2018
Seminole Tribe members, construction workers, and politicians gathered Monday to watch as the beam, which had signatures on it from tribal members and workers, was hoisted to the top of the building.

— chabeli herrera, miamiherald, "With last beam in place, Hollywood Hard Rock's guitar-shaped hotel is almost finished," 9 July 2018
Volunteers hoisted a 6,000-pound restored U.S. Army helicopter onto a pedestal just outside the brand-new Greater Middletown Military Museum on Friday morning.

— shawn r. beals, Courant Community, "Restored Army Huey Installed In Middletown To Honor Laotian SGU's Vietnam Service," 29 June 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of hoist

alteration of hoise

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

hoist Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of hoist

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.