hoisting
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/1
All five words describe moving something upward, but they differ in how the movement happens and what tools are involved. 'Lift' is the most general everyday word — you lift a book, a bag, or a child. 'Raise' is similar but often suggests bringing something to an upright position or a higher level with care; you raise your hand or raise a glass. 'Hoist' is more specific: it implies pulling something heavy upward, often using ropes, pulleys, or machinery; you hoist cargo onto a ship or hoist a flag up a pole. 'Heave' focuses on the physical effort involved — you heave a heavy rock or heave a sack onto your shoulder, but not usually using ropes. 'Elevate' is formal and often technical or figurative; a doctor may elevate a patient's legs, or a company may elevate someone to a senior role. For everyday contexts, choose 'lift' for simple actions, 'hoist' when ropes or machines help with the weight, and 'heave' when the effort is raw and muscular.
Common collocations
Etymology
The word 'hoist' is an alteration of the 14th-century Middle English 'hoise', which was probably borrowed from Middle Dutch 'hijsen' or Middle Low German 'hisen', meaning 'to hoist'. The '-t' ending was added in the 1500s, a common pattern in English where verbs formed from older words gained a final '-t' (compare 'burst' from 'bersten'). The noun sense, referring to a lifting device, appeared in the mid-1500s, shortly after the verb.
First known use
15th century
15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1 Noun