HOIST Synonyms: 102 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'hoist' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of hoist are boost , elevate , heave , lift , raise , and rear . While all these words mean "to move from a lower to a higher place or position," hoist implies lifting something heavy especially by mechanical means. // hoisted the cargo on board

Q: When is it sensible to use 'boost' instead of 'hoist'?

The words boost and hoist are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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 'hoist'?

Elevate may replace lift or raise especially when exalting or enhancing is implied. // elevated the taste of the public

Q: When could 'heave' be used to replace 'hoist'?

In some situations, the words heave and hoist are roughly equivalent. However, heave implies lifting and throwing with great effort or strain. // heaved the heavy crate inside

Q: When is 'lift' a more appropriate choice than 'hoist'?

The synonyms lift and hoist are sometimes interchangeable, but lift usually implies exerting effort to overcome resistance of weight. // lift the chair while I vacuum

Q: Where would 'raise' be a reasonable alternative to 'hoist'?

The meanings of raise and hoist largely overlap; however, raise carries a stronger implication of bringing up to the vertical or to a high position. // scouts raising a flagpole

Q: How are the words 'rear' and 'raise' related as synonyms of 'hoist'?

Rear may add an element of suddenness to raise . // suddenly reared itself up on its hind legs

hoist 1 of 2

verb

ˈhȯist

Definition of hoist

as in to heave

to lift with effort dockworkers hoisted all 164 barrels of molasses out of the ship's hold when it arrived in port

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to lift

to move from a lower to a higher place or position hoisted the flag on the flagpole

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to sip

to swallow in liquid form I have time to hoist a couple beers before heading home

Synonyms & Similar Words

hoist

2 of 2

noun

as in raising

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb hoist contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of hoist are boost, elevate, heave, lift, raise, and rear. While all these words mean "to move from a lower to a higher place or position," hoist implies lifting something heavy especially by mechanical means.

hoisted the cargo on board

When is it sensible to use boost instead of hoist?

The words boost and hoist are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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 hoist?

Elevate may replace lift or raise especially when exalting or enhancing is implied.

elevated the taste of the public

When could heave be used to replace hoist?

In some situations, the words heave and hoist are roughly equivalent. However, heave implies lifting and throwing with great effort or strain.

heaved the heavy crate inside

When is lift a more appropriate choice than hoist?

The synonyms lift and hoist are sometimes interchangeable, but lift usually implies exerting effort to overcome resistance of weight.

lift the chair while I vacuum

Where would raise be a reasonable alternative to hoist?

The meanings of raise and hoist largely overlap; however, raise carries a stronger implication of bringing up to the vertical or to a high position.

scouts raising a flagpole

How are the words rear and raise related as synonyms of hoist?

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 hoist

Verb

Paramedics stabilized the injured man before hoisting him into the helicopter for transport to a trauma hospital. — Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026 Once there, the kits need to be hoisted up to the wind turbine, which is both time-consuming and potentially dangerous. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026

Noun

Meanwhile, the Colorado Search and Rescue Association began coordinating the hoist rescue. — Christa Swanson, CBS News, 9 Sep. 2026 Texas Department of Public Safety — Texas Highway Patrol troopers, helicopters with hoist capability and the Tactical Marine Unit. — Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 14 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for hoist

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hoist

Verb

Mahomes sprinted to his right to avoid pressure and, a split-second before falling out of bounds, heaved a pass that somehow hit Tyreek Hill in stride for 48 yards.

— Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2026
On fourth-and-21 in the second overtime, Seminoles quarterback Ashton Daniels heaved the ball into the end zone and it was caught by Micahi Danzy for a touchdown — one that was called back after a holding call that Florida State felt didn't exist.

— ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of heave

Verb

Chen stepped up and recorded two consecutive kills to lift the Panthers to a three-point win in the final set.

— Alex Kushel, Sun Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2026
At the same time, other parts of the economy are already being hit by higher rates, which were lifted by market forces, even before the Fed hiked last month.

— Christopher Rugaber, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of lift

Verb

Allowing tea to cool until it can be sipped comfortably can prevent burns and could help preserve its potential cardiovascular benefits.

— Faye Chiu, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2026
During my stay some visitors curled up on the couches against the evening desert chill, sipping hot drinks spiked with Amarula, a South African liqueur, surrounded by flickering candles.

— Samantha Falewée, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of sip

Noun

After those losses, the state experienced a drop in fund-raising and an exodus of campaign talent.

— Jesús Rodríguez, New Yorker, 27 Oct. 2026
And a securities filing Wednesday makes clear that such an event could be coming, and that the scale of the fund-raising in the coming years may be more than some investors initially thought.

— Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of raising

Verb

In 2022, the central bank raised rates by three-quarters of a point six days before the midterm elections, part of its fight against the worst inflation in four decades.

— Aoife Walsh, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026
And the evidence uncovered by Chair Loudermilk raises serious questions about Speaker Pelosi's role in those decisions.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of raise

Verb

Food and drink The restaurant and bars (there are two) are the main draws here and will no doubt draw locals like me in addition to out-of-towners.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Oct. 2026
There’s no shortage of detailed guides telling visitors to Paris where exactly to eat and drink.

— Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of drink

Noun

In an elaborate fairy-tale takeoff, Homer abandons Bart and Lisa in the middle of the woods to help solve the family’s food-shortage problem.

— Joshua Kurp, Vulture, 26 Oct. 2026
Encounter The Attack Before The Attacker No amount of training could have re-created every detail Captain Sullenberger and his crew faced when Flight 1549 lost both engines after takeoff.

— Lee Rossey, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of takeoff

Verb

Sang-woo, who’d previously refused to drink soju with Ho-seok and Mi-ok, gulps down a fifteen-hundred-dollar bottle of Gaja Chardonnay.

— E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
The customer gulps it down in a single stretch and drops it into a bin – visible proof of his relief, at least for this moment, from the sweltering heat.

— Light Oriye Tamunotonye, Christian Science Monitor, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of gulp

Browse Nearby Words

hoi polloi

hoist

hoisted

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Hoist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hoist. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of hoist

verb

noun

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on hoist

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

grotesque

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes