heave 1 of 2

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
4
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

heave

2 of 2

noun

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
The Iraq war veteran sweated through his white T-shirt, heaving his belongings into a shopping cart. Quil Lawrence, NPR, 26 May 2025 In the end, the lights came back on across town at about 3:30pm here — and the city heaved an audible sigh of relief. Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 24 May 2025
Noun
The club had new ownership, new belief and new investment, but there was something about the heave and swell of Tyneside that had always appealed to Howe. George Caulkin, The Athletic, 13 Mar. 2025 Oceanside discus thrower Jayden Gibbs climbed to the top of the list in the boys discus with a heave of 162-8 — well beyond his previous mark of 155-6. Canyon Crest Academy’s Amaya Estes, already No. 1 in the long jump, improved that mark to 18-9 ¾ in the Division 1 meet at Del Norte. Steve Brand, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for heave
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heave
Verb
  • Other banners have been hoisted in recent weeks and stickers criticizing Bezos can be found all over town.
    Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 26 June 2025
  • Several dozen people gathered for the ceremony Saturday as the sign was hoisted and attached, including officials from Chicago Ridge and Richards High School, as well as representatives from The Mosque Foundation in Bridgeview, the Bridgeview School and the Nahda Center in Worth.
    Janice Neumann, Chicago Tribune, 25 June 2025
Verb
  • Tom Cruise recalled that all the actors who tried to perform in those fighter jets vomited their brains out.
    Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 25 June 2025
  • Groups of patients that gradually increased dosage had lower rates of discontinuations and vomiting than those who did not.
    Annika Kim Constantino,Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 25 June 2025
Verb
  • Hundreds of people showed up to the opening, which was the day after Portland lifted its indoor mask mandate, and in the middle of the N.C.A.A. tournament.
    Hannah Goldfield, New Yorker, 16 June 2025
  • Filler can’t lift sagging skin or reposition deeper tissue; a facelift is a literal lifting, cutting, and repositioning.
    Audrey Noble, Vogue, 16 June 2025
Verb
  • Ohtani recorded two strikeouts while throwing 18 pitches, allowing his only baserunner on an error when Mookie Betts dropped a popup in the sun.
    Greg Beacham, Chicago Tribune, 23 June 2025
  • Guardians starter Luis Ortiz, who had thrown 4 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball to that point, had already gotten Butler down 0-2 twice, and struck him out twice.
    Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 22 June 2025
Verb
  • The best shapewear provides support, feels comfortable, and stays in place without leaving you gasping for air by lunchtime.
    Michelle Rostamian, People.com, 26 June 2025
  • Still gasping for air, Saldivar was returned to her cell in a wheelchair, her head tipped back over the seat.
    Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 26 June 2025
Noun
  • The thrust of Verdigets’ early focus would be business fundamentals — building a holding structure for Nateland, assessing and fine-tuning the company’s revenue-cost ratio, and helping to define its five key verticals, including Touring, Digital, TV/Film, Experiences, and Products and Merchandise.
    Matt Grobar, Deadline, 23 June 2025
  • Super Heavy alone is powered by 33 of SpaceX’s Raptor engines that give the initial burst of thrust at liftoff.
    Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 21 June 2025
Verb
  • Sadly, Murphy believes, scrutiny hurled at the show’s Carolyn is eerily similar in to how the media and public treated Bessette-Kennedy.
    Marc Malkin, Variety, 19 June 2025
  • There were also reports of demonstrators hurling objects at police.
    Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 June 2025
Verb
  • Eight steel lifting straps were used to put the hull upright and to form part of a steel wire lifting system that began raising the vessel out of the water Saturday.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 22 June 2025
  • That raises real concerns about whether SGA and Co. can make the right plays against Indiana's defensive pressure in Game 7. Ironically, many expected this exact issue -- pressure defense forcing turnovers and leading to easy offense the other way -- to play a huge role in these Finals.
    Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Heave.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heave. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

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