Synonyms of heave

heave 1 of 4

verb (1)

ˈhēv 

1

as in to hoist

to lift with effort

I heaved my duffel bag into the bus's overhead compartment

Synonyms & Similar Words

• hoist
• raise
• upheave
• heft
• boost
• elevate
• up
• uplift
• jack (up)
• rear
• hike
• uprear
• upraise
• pick up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• drop
• lower
• depress
• sink
• submerge
• submerse

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

• vomit
• hurl
• retch
• puke
• barf
• eject
• upchuck
• gag
• throw up
• spew
• disgorge
• spit up
• lose one's lunch
• toss one's cookies
• regurgitate
• expel
• nauseate

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

• lift
• raise
• elevate
• hoist
• uplift
• up
• crane
• uphold
• take up
• boost
• heighten
• hike
• heft
• rise
• upraise
• ascend
• mount
• pick up
• jack (up)
• perk (up)
• rear
• upend

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• drop
• fall
• lower
• slip
• descend
• push
• plunge
• bear
• dip
• press
• depress
• sink
• pitch
• submerge

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• throw
• hurl
• toss
• fling
• sling
• fire
• launch
• cast
• chuck
• catapult
• pitch
• let fly
• lob
• hurtle
• dash
• bowl
• pelt
• flip
• dart
• loft
• gun
• peg
• roll
• thrust
• pass
• propel
• precipitate
• hook
• eject
• rifle
• impel
• shoot
• project
• buck

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

• gasp
• pant
• puff
• wheeze
• hyperventilate
• snore
• blow
• choke
• gulp
• smother
• huff
• strangle
• be out of breath
• stifle
• exhale
• gag
• asphyxiate
• snuffle
• expire

heaves

2 of 4

verb (2)

present tense third-person singular of heave

1

as in hoists

to lift with effort

I heaved my duffel bag into the bus's overhead compartment

Synonyms & Similar Words

• hoists
• hefts
• raises
• boosts
• ups
• elevates
• upheaves
• uplifts
• rears
• jacks (up)
• hikes
• uprears
• picks up
• upraises

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• drops
• lowers
• depresses
• sinks
• submerges
• submerses

2

as in vomits

to discharge the contents of the stomach through the mouth

heaved as soon as he stepped off the roller coaster

Synonyms & Similar Words

• vomits
• hurls
• retches
• pukes
• barfs
• ejects
• upchucks
• gags
• spews
• spits up
• disgorges
• throws up
• regurgitates
• loses one's lunch
• tosses one's cookies
• expels
• nauseates

3

as in lifts

to move from a lower to a higher place or position

heaved the bucket from the bottom of the well

Synonyms & Similar Words

• lifts
• raises
• elevates
• hoists
• uplifts
• ups
• hefts
• heightens
• upholds
• boosts
• rises
• ascends
• cranes
• takes up
• mounts
• hikes
• perks (up)
• picks up
• upraises
• jacks (up)
• rears
• upends

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• drops
• lowers
• falls
• descends
• plunges
• slips
• dips
• pushes
• presses
• bears
• depresses
• sinks
• pitches
• submerges

4

as in throws

to send through the air especially with a quick forward motion of the arm

heaved the brick over the fence

Synonyms & Similar Words

• throws
• hurls
• tosses
• flings
• fires
• launches
• casts
• slings
• bowls
• hurtles
• lobs
• catapults
• pegs
• dashes
• pitches
• flips
• chucks
• lofts
• darts
• guns
• rolls
• thrusts
• pelts
• lets fly
• precipitates
• passes
• propels
• shoots
• ejects
• impels
• rifles
• hooks
• projects
• bucks

5

as in gasps

to breathe hard, quickly, or with difficulty

by the time he reached the top step of the tower, he was heaving

Synonyms & Similar Words

• gasps
• pants
• wheezes
• snores
• puffs
• blows
• chokes
• hyperventilates
• huffs
• gulps
• is out of breath
• exhales
• smothers
• strangles
• stifles
• gags
• asphyxiates
• snuffles
• expires

heave

3 of 4

noun (1)

as in thrust

Related Words

• thrust
• upheaval
• upturn
• climb
• soar
• upsurge
• upswing
• upwelling
• uplifting
• upthrust
• raise
• uptrend
• rising
• rise
• hoist
• ascension
• ascent
• upsweep
• upraising
• boost
• hike
• takeoff
• raising
• elevation
• liftoff
• levitation
• blastoff

Dissimilar Words

• sinking
• decrease
• decline
• down
• plop
• plummeting
• fall
• drop
• dive
• downfall
• dip
• downgrade
• plunge
• descent
• comedown
• nosedive

heaves

4 of 4

noun (2)

plural of heave

as in thrusts

Related Words

• thrusts
• upheavals
• upturns
• climbs
• soars
• upwellings
• upswings
• upsurges
• rises
• raises
• ascensions
• risings
• hoists
• upthrusts
• uptrends
• ascents
• upsweeps
• boosts
• elevations
• hikes
• takeoffs
• levitations
• liftoffs
• blastoffs

Dissimilar Words

• downs
• decreases
• declines
• plops
• drops
• falls
• dips
• plunges
• dives
• downgrades
• downfalls
• descents
• comedowns
• nosedives

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of heave

Verb

Her last-second heave from the top of the arc fell short as the Valkyries fell to 7-7. —Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 26 June 2025

With a chance to send Wednesday’s game against the defending champions into overtime, Kate Martin’s 25-foot heave fell short. —Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 26 June 2025

Noun

Shortstop Edmundo Sosa desperately heaved the ball home upon fielding the relay, but the throw was equal parts errant and late. —Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 9 July 2025

Step inside – once the doors have heaved themselves open, which isn’t the work of a moment – and the cabin is pleasant enough but lacks the wow-factor of the exterior. —Alistair Charlton, Forbes.com, 3 July 2025