hoist

1 of 2

verb

ˈhȯist 

chiefly dialectal

ˈhīst 

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 sense 1

hoist a few beers

intransitive verb

: to become hoisted : rise

let it hoist to the upper deck

hoister noun

hoist

2 of 2

noun

1

: an act of raising or lifting : an act of hoisting (see hoist entry 1)

gave him a hoist over the wall

2

: an apparatus (such as a tackle or a hydraulic lift) for lifting or raising : an apparatus for hoisting (see hoist entry 1)

3

: the height of a flag when viewed flying

a flag with a 20-foot hoist

Synonyms

Verb

• heave

Choose the Right Synonym for 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.

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 hoist in a Sentence

Verb

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 on the Web

Verb

Wednesday was their first test together, forming the middle of the starting lineup between solid centre Jakob Poeltl and 3-point-hoisting guard Immanuel Quickley. —Eric Koreen, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025

The rescuer takes two trips, hooking each passenger up to a line, then hoisting them from the beach, the video shows. —Daniella Segura, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2025

Noun

The workers check and replace the large plastic bulbs on the long strings of lights and then use pulleys and hoists to hang and sometimes muscle those long strands of faceted lights onto the branches. —Tribune News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Oct. 2025

The teams made contact with the man, and a Utah DPS helicopter performed a hoist rescue, the outlet reported. —Jenna Sundel, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

alteration of hoise

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1654, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing hoist

• hoist by one's own petard
• hoist with one's own petard

Rhymes for hoist

• foist
• joist
• moist
• voiced
• rejoiced
• unvoiced

Kids Definition

hoist

1 of 2 verb

ˈhȯist 

: to raise or become raised into position especially by mechanical means

hoister noun

hoist

2 of 2 noun

1

: an act of hoisting : lift

2

: a machine for hoisting heavy loads