HEAVE Synonyms: 138 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

heave 1 of 2

verb

ˈhēv

Definition of heave

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

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

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

as in to throw

to send through the air especially with a quick forward motion of the arm heaved the brick over the fence

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

heave

2 of 2

noun

as in thrust

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Dissimilar Words

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

In nabbing Purdy’s 4-yard, desperation heave before cornerback Riq Woolen could with 1 1/2 minutes to go, Tonges put himself on the NFL map as a fourth-year veteran. — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 15 Aug. 2026 Vieira has spent her career competing against the best and now has the opportunity of a lifetime to up-heave a legend and take the PFL crown. — James Varsallone, Miami Herald, 14 Aug. 2026

Noun

Shay’s family came from Chicago, their bodies unfamiliar with the Atlantic’s endless heave, accustomed to the gentler surf of Lake Michigan. — Shyla Watson, PEOPLE, 13 July 2026 But Aneesah Morrow's heave from halfcourt was short at the buzzer. — ABC News, 18 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for heave

Recent Examples of Synonyms for heave

Verb

Originally intended for Florence Cathedral’s roof, the statue proved too heavy to hoist and too magnificent to place so high.

— Alicja Zelazko, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Sep. 2026
Peter Zumthor’s design hoists a serpentine platform atop pavilions that read like stout, truncated legs, making the edifice almost creaturely in its architectural stance.

— George Baker, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of hoist

Verb

At one point the Spaniard could be seen vomiting into a towel.

— Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 9 Sep. 2026
On a muggy Saturday afternoon in mid-August, tennis player Novak Djokovic appeared to vomit into a towel and called for a doctor to check his blood pressure before unexpectedly losing a second-round match in Cincinnati.

— Aaron Short, Curbed, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of vomit

Verb

But the sour mood that numerous surveys and polls have found about the state of the city does not appear to have magically lifted.

— Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026
And votes from Democrats, who are likely to balk at any major cuts to spending programs frequently targeted by Republicans, would be required to lift debt ceiling legislation over the 60-vote filibuster threshold in the Senate.

— Garrett Downs, CNBC, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of lift

Verb

Idzik and fellow walk-on Jordan Garside would reserve a lecture hall in the business school, write their mocks on the whiteboard and throw a two-person draft party.

— Joseph Person, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
The gallery watched with rapt attention as Reddington gestured wildly, slammed his hand down and threw a stack of papers onto the bench.

— Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of throw

Verb

Extreme mountain climbing has never looked anything but miserable from the distance of a screening room, and The Other Side delivers mightily on all that scraping, straining, gasping toil.

— Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2026
The power outages caused by storms that roared through the region nearly two weeks ago have one resident of this Rust Belt city literally gasping for air.

— Selina Guevara, NBC news, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of gasp

Noun

It is built around a three-stream adaptive architecture designed to provide the thrust required for high-performance flight while supporting the aircraft’s thermal and electrical demands.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026
Engineers devised a lower-thrust trajectory that saved BepiColombo's mission but delayed its Mercury arrival from December 2025 to November 2026.

— Josh Dinner, Space.com, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of thrust

Verb

Last month, Vance hurled himself into an obscure debate over burrito prices to make a gratuitous swipe at a conservative Washington Post columnist’s weight.

— Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2026
Another member of Colorado’s group finally had enough and hurled an orange Gatorade bottle up at the fans.

— Seth Emerson, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of hurl

Verb

The volume of the excellent eclectic soundtrack raises the energy level even higher.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Sep. 2026
The suit says La Strada twice raised concerns with Hoskins, but his Capitol security badge then was deactivated before a hearing in the case and he was fired effective May 1.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of raise

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heat wave

heave

heaved

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“Heave.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heave. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of heave

verb

noun

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