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

The video on Iranian state television follows the length of a long underground chamber, lined on both sides by tables heaving with wreckage of American military drones. — Scott Peterson, Christian Science Monitor, 25 Sep. 2026 After a Golden Flashes timeout, Sayin rolled right and heaved it toward the end zone, when Brandon Inniss caught it in the middle of a crowd of Kent State defensive backs to make it 35-0. — ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026

Noun

The game was over way before the final buzzer, with Johannes’ third-quarter buzzer-beating heave giving the Liberty a 23-point lead entering the fourth. — Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 9 Aug. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for heave

Recent Examples of Synonyms for heave

Verb

The group and left-wing student organisations had urged supporters to gather at the Central Park in New Delhi’s busy Connaught Place shopping and food district on Friday evening to wave and hoist the national flag.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026
The group and left-wing student organizations had urged supporters to gather at the Central Park in New Delhi’s busy Connaught Place shopping and food district on Friday evening to wave and hoist the national flag.

— Reuters, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of hoist

Verb

Low clouds that developed overnight gradually lifted and scattered, allowing more sunshine and temperatures to climb into the lower 90s.

— Michael Autovino, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
Colorado Sports Betting Laws and Timeline When the federal ban on sports betting was lifted, Colorado was among the first to act.

— OutKick, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of lift

Verb

Young men from the village threw stones back, Khrzhanovskiy said.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026
That sudden ascent, for a band spiritually in league with the Velvet Underground and Suicide, led some to wonder what exactly happened behind the social media scenes to get them there (one conspiratorial phrase got thrown around in particular).

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of throw

Verb

Advertisement Tell your doctor about the pauses, gasping, and any daytime sleepiness.

— Angela Haupt, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
Abrams does yeoman’s work with a character stuck in a tight spot for most of the running time, constantly grunting and gasping with a mixture of anguish and exhaustion as his body gets progressively more beat up and broken.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of gasp

Noun

This is the main thrust of Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother — when the rightful aim of that threefold devotion is gone, what fills the void?

— CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2026
SpaceX’s Falcon user guide says the first-stage thrust-vector control system draws from its high-pressure kerosene system instead of carrying a separate supply of hydraulic fluid.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 27 Sep. 2026

Definition of thrust

Verb

The settlers hurled stones with slings and set the groves on fire, chasing a group of journalists about 80 yards from the scene.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026
The protest turned violent when a group of young people wearing masks hurled rocks at riot police, who responded with stun grenades, tear gas and a water cannon.

— Reuters, NBC news, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of hurl

Verb

Japan has also raised concern over China's gradual escalation of its military activity around remote Japanese islands in the Pacific Ocean.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026
Still, Converse’s sales hemorrhage raises fair questions about whether this is more than a cyclical decline.

— Phil Wahba, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of raise

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heat wave

heave

heaved

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Style

“Heave.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heave. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of heave

verb

noun

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