heave
gb/hˈiv/ us/hˈiv/
B2
English
~ 10000
tuszkol, vonszol, hajít, hullámzik, hömpölyög, öklendezik, hány, zihál, emelkedik-süllyed, nekirugaszkodás, rántás, hullámzás, emelkedés-süllyedés, öklendezés
VERB
B2
1
Usage pattern:
to heave [something] [direction/place]
He heaved the suitcase into the overhead locker.
Feltuszkolta a bőröndöt a fej fölötti csomagtartóba.
They heaved the broken sofa out onto the street.
Kituszkolták a törött kanapét az utcára.
She grabbed the handle and heaved the door open.
The workers heaved on the rope until the car was free.
Exhausted, he heaved himself up the last few steps.
Learner examples
He heaved the heavy box onto the table.
Feltuszkolta a nehéz dobozt az asztalra.
Two men heaved the piano into the truck.
Két férfi feltuszkolta a zongorát a teherautóra.
She heaved the door open with both hands.
They heaved the boat onto the beach.
He was so tired that he could barely heave himself out of the chair.
Common mistake:
Learners often use "heave" as a normal word for "lift" in all situations. In modern English, "heave" is usually used only when something is clearly heavy or the effort is strong; in everyday speech, people more often say "lift".
Meaning
Lift or pull something heavy
Collocations
heave the box
|heave the door open
|heave on the rope
|heave the suitcase into the car
|heave himself up
|with a mighty heave
Synonyms
lift (More general and common; does not always suggest great effort the way "heave" does.)
|
haul (Emphasizes pulling something heavy, often over a distance, while "heave" can be one big lift or pull.)
Antonyms
lower (Describes moving something down gently, while "heave" usually describes moving something up or away with force.)
Themes
daily life
|physical actions
|daily_life
|work
Definition
To lift or pull something heavy with a lot of effort, often in one big movement.
To lift, pull, or otherwise move something that is heavy, usually with a lot of physical effort, often in one strong movement.
VERB
B2
2
hajít
B2
Usage pattern:
to heave [something] [direction]
He heaved the ball as far as he could.
Olyan messzire hajította a labdát, amilyen messzire csak tudta.
Someone had heaved a rock through the window.
Valaki követ hajított be az ablakon.
She heaved the bag over the fence and climbed after it.
The protester heaved a brick at the police van.
He angrily heaved his phone onto the bed.
Learner examples
He heaved the stone into the river.
Belehajította a követ a folyóba.
She heaved the heavy bag onto the bus.
Felhajította a nehéz táskát a buszra.
The boy heaved the ball over the wall.
They heaved the old TV onto the pile of trash.
He heaved the broken chair out of the room.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "heave" to mean any kind of throw. In natural speech, "heave" usually suggests that the throw needs a lot of effort, or that the throw is rough or careless.
Meaning
Throw something with force
Collocations
heave a brick
|heave the ball
|heave it over the fence
|heave the bag into the truck
|heave the rock aside
Synonyms
hurl (Very close in meaning, but "hurl" does not as strongly suggest that the object is heavy.)
|
lob (Describes a high, often slower throw; "heave" suggests more raw effort and force.)
Antonyms
catch (Describes receiving a thrown object, which is the opposite side of the same action that "heave" describes.)
Themes
daily life
|sports
|daily_life
Definition
To throw something hard, often something big or heavy.
To throw or fling something with great force, often something large or heavy.
VERB
B2
3
Usage pattern:
[something] heaves up and down
The sea heaved beneath the small fishing boat.
A tenger hullámzott a kis halászhajó alatt.
The crowd heaved forward as the gates opened.
A tömeg előrehömpölygött, amikor kinyíltak a kapuk.
The ground heaved during the earthquake.
The ship heaved and rolled in the storm.
In the darkness, he could feel the deck heaving under his feet.
Learner examples
The small boat moved as the sea heaved.
A kis csónak ringott, ahogy hullámzott a tenger.
The waves heaved up and down all night.
A hullámok egész éjjel fel-le hullámzottak.
The ship heaved in the strong wind.
During the quake, the floor seemed to heave under us.
The crowd heaved forward when the doors opened.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "heave" only means "lift". In this sense, it does not mean "lift"; it means that something large moves up and down or back and forth, often again and again.
Meaning
Move up and down repeatedly
Collocations
the sea heaved
|ground heaving
|chest heaving up and down
|heave and roll
|the ship heaved in the waves
Synonyms
heave and swell (A fixed pairing that emphasizes the repeated up-and-down movement of waves or a surface.)
|
surge (Focuses more on a sudden strong movement, while "heave" often suggests slower, heavy, rhythmic motion.)
Antonyms
stay still (Describes the absence of any movement, the opposite of the repeated motion in "heave".)
Themes
nature
|physical actions
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To move up and down in a slow, strong way, like the sea or the ground.
To move up and down or back and forth in a slow, heavy, or powerful way, especially in large masses such as water, land, or a crowd.
VERB
B2
4
öklendezik
B2
hány
A2
Usage pattern:
to heave (up) [something]
The smell was so bad it made him heave.
A szag olyan rossz volt, hogy öklendezni kezdett tőle.
He leaned over the rail and heaved up his lunch.
Áthajolt a korláton, és kihányta az ebédjét.
She began to heave but nothing came out.
The drunk man staggered to the side of the road and heaved.
I thought I was going to heave right there in the taxi.
Learner examples
The food was so bad that he started to heave.
Az étel olyan rossz volt, hogy öklendezni kezdett.
She ran to the bathroom and heaved into the toilet.
Berohant a fürdőszobába, és a vécébe hányt.
He leaned over the sink and heaved up his dinner.
The smell of the garbage made me want to heave.
The sick child began to heave again and again.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with the lifting sense and write things like *"he heaved the food"* without context. When "heave" means "vomit", it is usually clear from the situation (sickness, smell, alcohol) or from phrases like "heave up" or "dry heave".
Meaning
Vomit or retch forcefully
Collocations
heave violently
|heave up his breakfast
|start to heave
|dry heave
|heave over the side
Synonyms
vomit (More medical and neutral; "heave" can also describe the physical movement when almost vomiting.)
|
throw up (Common informal phrase; "heave" sounds slightly more descriptive and physical.)
Antonyms
keep down (In this context, means managing not to vomit the food or drink you have swallowed.)
Themes
health
|body
Definition
To throw up food or liquid from your stomach, or to try to throw up with strong movements.
To bring food or liquid up from the stomach and out of the mouth, or to make the strong, unpleasant movements of vomiting even if nothing comes out.
VERB
B2
5
zihál
B1
Usage pattern:
[chest/shoulders] heave with [emotion/effort]
Her chest heaved as she tried to stop crying.
Emelkedett-süllyedt a mellkasa, miközben próbálta abbahagyni a sírást.
He lay on the ground, lungs heaving after the race.
A verseny után a földön feküdt, és zihált.
The child’s shoulders heaved with silent sobs.
She stood there, heaving with laughter.
His chest heaved as he took in deep, shaky breaths.
Learner examples
After the run, his chest was heaving.
A futás után hevesen emelkedett-süllyedt a mellkasa.
Her shoulders heaved as she cried.
Rázkódott a válla, ahogy sírt.
He sat on the floor, heaving with laughter.
The boy’s chest heaved with every breath.
She was so scared that her chest began to heave.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use only "breathe" or "cry" where English often uses "heave" to show strong feeling, as in "her chest heaved" or "he was heaving with sobs". "Heave" adds the idea of strong physical movement.
Meaning
Breathe with deep, heavy breaths
Collocations
chest heaving
|shoulders heaving
|heave with sobs
|heave with laughter
|heave a deep sigh
Synonyms
pant (Focuses on fast breathing after effort; "heave" stresses the strong up-and-down movement and emotion.)
|
sob (Focuses on the crying sound; "heave" focuses on the body movement that goes with intense crying.)
Antonyms
breathe steadily (Describes calm, regular breathing, the opposite of the heavy or emotional breathing in "heave".)
Themes
emotions
|body
|health
Definition
To breathe very hard so that your chest or body moves up and down, often because you are tired, crying, or very upset.
Of a person or animal, to breathe in a deep, heavy, or irregular way so that the chest or shoulders move noticeably, often because of strong emotion or physical effort.
NOUN
B2
6
rántás
B1
Usage pattern:
with a heave of [something]
With a mighty heave, they dragged the car out of the ditch.
Egy hatalmas nekirugaszkodással kihúzták az autót az árokból.
It took three strong heaves to get the wardrobe up the stairs.
Három erős nekirugaszkodás kellett, hogy felvigyék a szekrényt a lépcsőn.
He gave the door a hard heave and it finally opened.
On the count of three, everyone gave one last heave.
The box moved a little with each heave.
Learner examples
With one big heave, they moved the table.
Egy nagy nekirugaszkodással odébb tették az asztalt.
He gave the rope a strong heave.
Rántott egy nagyot a kötélen.
It took two heaves to lift the box.
She opened the window with a hard heave.
They pulled the boat up the beach with several heaves.
Meaning
Strong pull or lift
Collocations
with a mighty heave
|give it one last heave
|a good heave
|with a single heave
Synonyms
heave-ho (Informal phrase often used together with a strong pull, sometimes as a shout; the noun "heave" is the neutral description of the action.)
Antonyms
gentle lift (Describes a light, easy lifting motion, opposite to the strong, effortful motion in a "heave".)
Themes
daily life
|physical actions
|daily_life
|work
Definition
One big, strong movement when you lift or pull something heavy.
A single strong movement of lifting or pulling something, usually something heavy and with a lot of effort.
NOUN
C1
7
hullámzás
B2
Usage pattern:
the heave of [sea/chest/ground]
He felt the slow heave of the sea beneath the deck.
Érezte a tenger lassú hullámzását a hajó alatt.
Her breathing was shallow, with only the faint heave of her chest.
Légzése felületes volt, mellkasa alig észrevehetően emelkedett-süllyedt.
The gentle heave of the boat made him sleepy.
With every sob came a violent heave of her shoulders.
The room seemed to move with the heave of the earthquake.
Learner examples
We could feel the heave of the ship in the storm.
Érezni lehetett a hajó hullámzását a viharban.
The heave of his chest showed that he was alive.
Mellkasának emelkedése-süllyedése mutatta, hogy életben van.
The soft heave of the waves rocked the boat.
I watched the slow heave of her breathing.
The ground had a strange heave during the quake.
Meaning
Slow up-and-down movement
Collocations
the heave of the sea
|the heave of her chest
|the steady heave
|a great heave and roll
Synonyms
swell (Often used for the sea; "heave" suggests a heavier, sometimes rougher movement.)
Antonyms
calm (Describes a state without noticeable movement, which contrasts with the up-and-down heave.)
Themes
nature
|body
Definition
A slow, strong up-and-down movement, like the sea or someone’s chest moving.
A slow, heavy, or powerful up-and-down movement, especially of the sea, land, or a person’s chest or shoulders.
NOUN
C1
8
öklendezés
B2
Usage pattern:
a heave of [the stomach/shoulders]
He doubled over with a series of painful heaves.
Egymást követő fájdalmas öklendezésektől görnyedt össze.
After a few dry heaves, the feeling finally passed.
Néhány száraz öklendezés után az érzés végül elmúlt.
She woke in the night with violent heaves and stomach cramps.
His body shook with each heave over the toilet.
The heaves left him weak and shaking.
Learner examples
The sick man shook with every heave.
A beteg ember minden egyes öklendezésnél megrázkódott.
After a few dry heaves, she felt better.
Néhány száraz öklendezés után jobban lett.
His heaves were loud and painful.
Each heave made his stomach hurt more.
The child had many heaves but did not bring anything up.
Meaning
Movement when retching or vomiting
Collocations
dry heaves
|a violent heave
|another heave
|heaves of nausea
Synonyms
retch (More often used as a verb; as a noun, "heave" often appears in the fixed phrase "dry heaves".)
Antonyms
steady stomach (Informal opposite idea: not feeling the need to vomit, so there are no heaves.)
Themes
health
|body
Definition
One strong movement of the body when a person is throwing up or trying to throw up.
A single strong movement of the body when someone is vomiting or trying to vomit, often repeated again and again.
Grammar
Dictionary form
heave
IPA
GB/hˈiv/
US/hˈiv/
Syllables & stress
heave (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (heave)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: heave
- Plural: heaves
Verb
- Base: heave
- 3rd Person Singular: heaves
- Present Participle: heaving
- Past: heaved, hove
- Past Participle: hove
Word family
Forms
heaves
noun
heaving
verb
heaved
verb
hove
verb
Related words
upheaval
noun C1
Highlights
- Irregular past participle: hove Verb
Expressions
dry heaves
3/dɹˈaɪ hˈivz/
idiom
Repeated retching without vomiting
Strong, repeated movements as if you are going to vomit, but nothing comes out.
Examples
- He spent half the night with dry heaves.
- The medicine upset her stomach and gave her dry heaves.
- After a few dry heaves, the feeling of nausea slowly faded.
give someone the heave-ho
4/ɡˈɪv sˈʌmwˌʌn ðə hˈiv hˈoʊ/
idiom
informal
Dismiss or get rid of someone
To remove someone from a job or to end a romantic relationship with them, often suddenly.
Examples
- After three months of poor sales, they gave him the heave-ho.
- She finally gave her cheating boyfriend the heave-ho.
- Anyone who breaks the rules will get the heave-ho.
heave into view
5/hˈiv ˈɪntu vjˈu/
fixed phrase
Appear slowly and heavily
To come slowly into sight, especially when something big or heavy can finally be seen.
Examples
- A large ferry finally heaved into view through the fog.
- After an hour of waiting, the island heaved into view on the horizon.
- The truck heaved into view at the top of the hill.
heave to
6/hˈiv tə/
phrasal verb
technical
Stop or slow a sailing vessel
To bring a sailing boat or ship almost to a stop by turning it in a special way against the wind.
Examples
- The captain ordered the ship to heave to during the storm.
- We had to heave to and wait for the fog to clear.
- The yacht heaved to about a mile off the coast.
heave up
2/hˈiv ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
informal
Vomit, throw up
To bring food or drink up from your stomach and out of your mouth; to throw up.
Examples
- He ran to the bushes and heaved up his lunch.
- I thought I was going to heave up right there on the bus.
- She had food poisoning and spent the night heaving up everything.
heave a sigh
1/hˈiv ə sˈaɪ/
fixed phrase
Let out a loud sigh
To let out a long, loud breath to show a feeling, such as relief, sadness, or tiredness.
Examples
- She heaved a sigh before starting her speech.
- She heaved a sigh of relief when she saw her exam result.
- He heaved a sigh when he saw the long queue.
- He just heaved a long sigh and walked away.
- The crowd heaved a collective sigh when the game finally ended.