ELEVATE Synonyms: 135 Similar and Opposite Words

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

Some common synonyms of elevate are boost , heave , hoist , lift , raise , and rear . While all these words mean "to move from a lower to a higher place or position," elevate may replace lift or raise especially when exalting or enhancing is implied. // elevated the taste of the public

Q: When could 'boost' be used to replace 'elevate'?

The words boost and elevate 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: In what contexts can 'heave' take the place of 'elevate'?

Although the words heave and elevate have much in common, heave implies lifting and throwing with great effort or strain. // heaved the heavy crate inside

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

In some situations, the words hoist and elevate are roughly equivalent. However, hoist implies lifting something heavy especially by mechanical means. // hoisted the cargo on board

Q: When can 'lift' be used instead of 'elevate'?

The words lift and elevate can be used in similar contexts, 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 'elevate'?

While the synonyms raise and elevate are close in meaning, 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 'elevate'?

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

elevate

verb

ˈe-lə-ˌvāt

Definition of elevate

as in to excite

to fill with great joy seeing their son ordained as a priest was one of the most elevating moments in their lives

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to lift

to move from a lower to a higher place or position the old trick of using a fat phone book to elevate a child to a more comfortable position at the table

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to promote

to move higher in rank or position the announcement that the pope will elevate several prelates to the rank of cardinal

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to exalt

to assign a high status or value to a decade in which greed and selfishness were elevated to the rank of virtues

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb elevate contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of elevate are boost, heave, hoist, lift, raise, and rear. While all these words mean "to move from a lower to a higher place or position," elevate may replace lift or raise especially when exalting or enhancing is implied.

elevated the taste of the public

When could boost be used to replace elevate?

The words boost and elevate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, boost suggests assisting to climb or advance by a push.

boosted his brother over the fence

In what contexts can heave take the place of elevate?

Although the words heave and elevate have much in common, heave implies lifting and throwing with great effort or strain.

heaved the heavy crate inside

When is hoist a more appropriate choice than elevate?

In some situations, the words hoist and elevate are roughly equivalent. However, hoist implies lifting something heavy especially by mechanical means.

hoisted the cargo on board

When can lift be used instead of elevate?

The words lift and elevate can be used in similar contexts, 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 elevate?

While the synonyms raise and elevate are close in meaning, 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 elevate?

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 elevate But in the teenage years, the girls’ anxiety increased significantly over the boys’, and remained elevated into adulthood. — Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026 My go-to personal item is my Cuyana Forma Bowler Bag—the leather material elevates any look. — Anna Popp, Travel + Leisure, 26 Aug. 2026 But in the late ’80s, Parton, Harris, and Ronstadt released their take and managed to elevate an already great song to something that much better. — Marah Eakin, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2026 In 1999, she was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, and in 2022, elevated into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame. — Lars Brandle, Billboard, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for elevate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for elevate

Verb

The promise excited Ralph Gonzalez and Christine Munoz, who own the city's first gastropub, Newhall Refinery.

— Nicole Comstock, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026
Parton was excited and taken aback by the new version of her song.

— Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of excite

Verb

But the flood of money is also lifting stocks in tech, infrastructure, energy, and construction, delivering gains across generations.

— Jason Ma, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026
Latest drone footage from CCTV shows rescue workers using lifting equipment in an attempt to restore and rebuild a road by the turbulent currents and in between the towering mountains.

— Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of lift

Verb

When applied to the scalp, certain peptides can send signals that promote follicle function, extend the growth phase of the hair cycle, and strengthen the tissue surrounding the follicle.

— Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 28 Aug. 2026
Trump has also promoted the destruction of Iran's nuclear facilities and navy, and the reduction in missile and drone capabilities, as measures of success.

— Bart Jansen, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of promote

Verb

The women exalted in these spaces put their face on in the morning—as a woman from the 1950s might say.

— Robin Givhan, Vanity Fair, 19 Aug. 2026
This has been an awesome showcase of American community, with our own USMNT support and other countries’ diasporas springing up exalting watch parties all over the place.

— Alex Kirshner, New York Times, 19 July 2026

Definition of exalt

Verb

This comes after shares of Target spiked last Wednesday after the retailer reported second-quarter top- and bottom-line gains and raised its outlook for the year.

— Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 26 Aug. 2026
If passed, the USPS will raise rates by an average of 6% for retail and commercial USPS Ground Advantage, Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express, and Parcel Select shipments, according to the USPS press release.

— Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of raise

Verb

Pricey summer rentals funded a renovation to add central air and upgrade the saltwater pool.

— Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 28 Aug. 2026
All cabins come with a firepit equipped with a grill grate and a picnic table, while upgrading to an outdoor suite gets you a tarp for shade lined with string lights and an extremely comfortable hammock.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of upgrade

Verb

But there is no doubt in my mind that the musical ennobles the previously more limited material, which is not often the case when Hollywood movies are scored and sung.

— Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2026
The book’s post-apocalyptic setting ennobles its meditations on selfhood and finitude; the narrator’s search for perpetuity is lent an unshakable gravity by her circumstances.

— Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of ennoble

Browse Nearby Words

elephants

elevate

elevated

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“Elevate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elevate. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of elevate

verb

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