Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

heave

/ˈhiːv/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.90 in modern English

Syllables
heave
IPA
/ˈhiːv/
11
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
1
Syllables
4
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To lift with difficulty; to raise with some effort; to lift (a heavy thing).

Transitive verb

verb

To throw, cast.

Transitive verb

verb

To rise and fall.

Intransitive verb

verb

To utter with effort.

Transitive verb

verb

To pull up with a rope or cable.

Transitive verb

verb

To lift (generally); to raise, or cause to move upwards (particularly in ships or vehicles) or forwards.

Archaic; Transitive verb

verb

To be thrown up or raised; to rise upward, as a tower or mound.

Intransitive verb

verb

To displace (a vein, stratum).

Transitive verb

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Middle English heven, hebben, from Old English hebban, from Proto-West Germanic *habbjan, from Proto-Germanic *habjaną (“to take up, lift”), from Proto-Indo-European *kapyéti, from the root *kap-. See also have. Cognates Cognate with West Frisian heffe, Dutch heffen ("to raise", "to lift"), German heben ("to raise", "to lift"), Danish hæve ("to raise", "to lift"), Albanian kap (“to grasp, seize”), Old Irish cáin (“law, tribute”), cacht (“prisoner”), Latin capiō (“to take”), Latvian kàmpt (“to seize”), Ancient Greek κάπτω (káptō, “to gulp down”), κώπη (kṓpē, “handle”)). (To lift, to raise): Compare typologically Russian поднима́ть (podnimátʹ), подня́ть (podnjátʹ) (akin to има́ть (imátʹ), име́ть (imétʹ) < Proto-Slavic *jьmati, *jьměti).

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: heven, hebban, *habbjan, *habjaną, *kapyéti

Usage

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Phrases

Frequently Paired Words

Synonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce heave?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈhiːv/.
What does heave mean?
To lift with difficulty; to raise with some effort; to lift (a heavy thing).
Where does heave come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce heave

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “heave”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈhiːv/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “heave”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “heave” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.