WordGarden.ioheave
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /hˈiːv/
US
- /ˈhiv/
Meanings
Verb
to lift, pull, or throw something heavy with effort
to rise and fall or swell with a heavy motion
to retch or vomit
More meaningsFewer meanings
to let out a deep breath or sigh
Noun
a strong lift, pull, or throw
a rising, swelling, or up-and-down motion
Beyond the definition
To heave something means to lift, pull, or throw it with a lot of effort. You can picture sailors pulling hard on a rope or someone heaving a heavy box onto a truck. The word can also describe a strong up-and-down movement, like the sea when waves heave and crash against the shore. Sometimes a person heaves with effort, showing that they are straining to do something hard. If someone feels sick, they may heave, making the body movements that happen before vomiting. The word often gives a sense of weight, force, and struggle. You can heave a deep sigh, and a ship can heave into view as it slowly appears through fog.
"Heave!" The cry rings out from sailors battling a storm, urging them to pull together on thick ropes to raise heavy sails. That's at the heart of what heave means: to exert great physical effort in lifting, pulling, or throwing something weighty. Imagine straining your muscles to move a massive stone—that's heaving.
But heave isn't limited to just lifting objects. It also describes powerful, surging movements. The ocean doesn't simply move; it heaves, rising and falling in great, rhythmic swells. On a much larger scale, a mountain range might heave upwards over millennia, a slow but immense exertion of geological force.
The word even describes intense bodily actions. When someone is nauseated, they may heave. This isn't about lifting something external, but rather the internal struggle and forceful contractions of the body. Similarly, if you're overwhelmed with emotion, you might heave a sigh of relief, exhaustion, or sadness—a deep, heavy breath that physically expresses your feelings.
Historically, heave comes from Old English roots meaning "to lift" or "raise." It's a word steeped in physical labor and the raw power of nature. So, whether it's sailors battling the waves, athletes pushing their limits, or the earth itself shifting beneath our feet, heave captures a sense of forceful exertion and powerful movement.
Examples
- 1
Moving furniture
We heaved the sofa up the stairs and into the apartment.
- 2
Getting up
After the alarm rang, she heaved herself out of bed and went straight to the kitchen.
- Patternheave yourself + somewhere
move your body with effort
- 3
Emotional reaction
Dad heaved a sigh of relief when the doctor said everything looked fine.
- Phraseheave a sigh
breathe out strongly because of a feeling
- 4
Physical effort
His shoulders were heaving after the long run.
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Rough sea
The boat heaved up and down all night in the rough sea.
- 6
Slow appearance
A truck finally heaved into view through the fog.
- Phraseheave into view
appear slowly in a heavy, noticeable way
- 7
Crowded place
By noon, the beach was heaving with tourists.
- Patternbe heaving with + people/things
be very full of them
See also
Forms and spellings
5 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- heavenounverb
Forms
- hovepast tensepast participleverbnoun
- heaving-ing formverbnoun
- heavedpast tenseverbnoun
- heavespluralnounverb