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

heave

2 of 4

noun (1)

as in thrust

Synonyms & Similar 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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

heaves

3 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

heaves

4 of 4

noun (2)

plural of heave

as in thrusts

Synonyms & Similar 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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of heave

Verb

After a lot of loose-ball chaos, Hardaway got the ball in the corner and pump-faked before heaving it up. —Jacob Lev, CNN Money, 27 Apr. 2025

But as players had to heave sandbags, move through an obstacle course, toss balls and complete a puzzle, the Vula tribe (with no original Vula members on it) were once again the last team to finish. —Emily Deletter, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2025

Noun

Curry swished in a magical heave at the end of the first half from beyond halfcourt, igniting a 40-14 run that swung the game. —Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2025

A number of sectors within Hollywood, notably visual effects and animation, heave become heavily reliant on Nvidia’s products and services, as are a number of tech frenemies like Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft and Tesla. —Dade Hayes, Deadline, 6 Jan. 2025