heave 1 of 2

verb

ˈhēv How to pronounce heave (audio)
Definition of heavenext
1
as in to hoist
to lift with effort I heaved my duffel bag into the bus's overhead compartment

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to vomit
to discharge the contents of the stomach through the mouth heaved as soon as he stepped off the roller coaster

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to lift
to move from a lower to a higher place or position heaved the bucket from the bottom of the well

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to throw
to send through the air especially with a quick forward motion of the arm heaved the brick over the fence

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5
as in to gasp
to breathe hard, quickly, or with difficulty by the time he reached the top step of the tower, he was heaving

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heave

2 of 2

noun

as in thrust

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb heave contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of heave are boost, elevate, hoist, lift, raise, and rear. While all these words mean "to move from a lower to a higher place or position," heave implies lifting and throwing with great effort or strain.

heaved the heavy crate inside

When might boost be a better fit than heave?

The synonyms boost and heave are sometimes interchangeable, but boost suggests assisting to climb or advance by a push.

boosted his brother over the fence

How does the word elevate relate to other synonyms for heave?

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

elevated the taste of the public

When is hoist a more appropriate choice than heave?

The meanings of hoist and heave largely overlap; however, hoist implies lifting something heavy especially by mechanical means.

hoisted the cargo on board

Where would lift be a reasonable alternative to heave?

The words lift and heave are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, lift usually implies exerting effort to overcome resistance of weight.

lift the chair while I vacuum

When can raise be used instead of heave?

The words raise and heave can be used in similar contexts, but raise carries a stronger implication of bringing up to the vertical or to a high position.

scouts raising a flagpole

How do rear and raise relate to one another, in the sense of heave?

Rear may add an element of suddenness to raise.

suddenly reared itself up on its hind legs

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of heave
Verb
As time expired, Tre Holloman heaved a shot from beyond halfcourt and sank it to secure the ridiculous victory for Michigan State on the road. —Dan Perry, Newsweek, 2 Mar. 2025 Markets heaved a sigh of relief and made sharp turnarounds on the news. —Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 4 Feb. 2025
Noun
Players waiting for after the buzzer for halfcourt heaves Your field goal percentage doesn’t matter. —Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 16 Feb. 2025 The Bluejays missed three of their four free throws down the stretch, and the fans began their exodus before Neal’s half court heave clanked off the rim at the buzzer. —Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 12 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for heave
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heave
  1. hoist
  2. vomit
  3. lift
  4. throw
  5. gasp
  6. thrust
  7. hurl
  8. raise
Verb
  • On Selection Sunday, a few hours before St. John’s landed a No. 2 seed and a first-round matchup with No. 15 Omaha in the NCAA Tournament, Smith shared a series of photos on X. One showed Smith hoisting the trophy after his resurgent Red Storm’s Big East Tournament championship.
    — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 20 Mar. 2025
  • But minutes after hoisting the Class 3A second-play trophy Saturday night at the State Farm Center in Champaign, the Mikrut brothers started thinking about doing the same in volleyball.
    — Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 20 Mar. 2025
Definition of hoist
Verb
  • Morgan made headlines on Monday night when he was photographed vomiting courtside while the Knicks took on the Miami Heat.
    — Dan Perry, Newsweek, 19 Mar. 2025
  • The 30 Rock star began vomiting during the third quarter of the game at Madison Square Garden and had a nosebleed.
    — Justin Curto, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2025
Definition of vomit
Verb
  • Another benefit: The 40-degree curvature lifts the lashes from the roots to the tips and reaches every hair from the beginning to the end of the lash line.
    — Anna Bader, Glamour, 12 Mar. 2025
  • Comments from Hansi Flick and players such as Raphinha, Lamine Yamal and Pedri communicate that Barca will give its all to lift the trophy for the first time since 2015, while some are already pointing to the Blaugrana as the favourite.
    — Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
Definition of lift
Verb
  • Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto threw five innings, giving up one run and striking out four.
    — Hanako Montgomery, CNN, 18 Mar. 2025
  • As a senior, Williams threw two consecutive no-hitters at Cape Fear High.
    — Bernie Pleskoff, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
Definition of throw
Verb
  • Another level hems the player in with blocks of self-questioning text while the sound of someone gasping for air drones on in the background.
    — Christopher Byrd, The New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2025
  • Who doesn’t gasp with delight at a bicyclist doing cartwheels on a tightrope?
    — Jesse Green, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2025
Definition of gasp
Noun
  • Their level of participation in it becomes the dramatic thrust of the film rather than the end result, and while the three women are anonymous in a literal sense, they are marked by their distinctly different attitudes toward what’s to come.
    — Stephen Saito, Variety, 20 Mar. 2025
  • The argument mirrors the thrust of Ryan Reynolds’ bid to dismiss defamation claims against him in Baldoni’s lawsuit.
    — Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Mar. 2025
Definition of thrust
Verb
  • Several diss tracks followed, with the musicians hurling increasingly spiteful insults at each other relating to accusations of domestic abuse, exploitation and pedophilia.
    — Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Mar. 2025
  • Outside, a school bus lay on its side, hurled against the building by the storm, with yellow caution tape keeping onlookers at a distance.
    — Robert Shackelford, CNN, 17 Mar. 2025
Definition of hurl
Verb
  • While many pandemic-era DTC brands raised millions only to implode soon after, Almada remains entirely self-funded.
    — Angela Lei, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
  • But because solar, wind and hydropower production rates can vary with weather and other factors, nuclear energy is particularly appealing to ever thirsty AI technology companies, raising fears of nuclear waste contamination.
    — The Editors, Scientific American, 18 Mar. 2025
Definition of raise

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Cite this Entry

“Heave.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heave. Accessed 26 Mar. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on heave

Nglish: Translation of heave for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about heave

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