Synonyms

deliver

American

[dih-liv-er] / dɪˈlɪv ər /

verb (used with object)

to carry and turn over (letters, goods, etc.) to the intended recipient or recipients.

to deliver mail;
to deliver a package.

Synonyms:

yield, cede, transfer
to give into another's possession or keeping; surrender.

to deliver a prisoner to the police;
to deliver a bond.
to bring (votes) to the support of a candidate or a cause.
to give forth in words; utter or pronounce.

to deliver a verdict;
to deliver a speech.

Synonyms:

publish, proclaim, announce, communicate
to give forth or emit.

The oil well delivers 500 barrels a day.
to strike or throw.

to deliver a blow.
to set free or liberate.

The Israelites were delivered from bondage.

Synonyms:

release, emancipate

Antonyms:

confine
to release or save.

Deliver me from such tiresome people!

Synonyms:

rescue, redeem
to assist (a female) in bringing forth young.

The doctor delivered her of twins.
to assist at the birth of.

The doctor delivered the baby.
to give birth to.

She delivered twins at 4 a.m.
to disburden (oneself ) of thoughts, opinions, etc.
to make known; assert.

verb (used without object)

to give birth.
to provide a delivery service for goods and products.

The store delivers free of charge.
to do or carry out as promised.

an ad agency known for delivering when a successful campaign is needed.

adjective

Archaic. agile; quick.

deliver British

/ dɪˈlɪvə /

verb

to carry (goods, etc) to a destination, esp to carry and distribute (goods, mail, etc) to several places

to deliver letters
our local butcher delivers
to hand over, transfer, or surrender
(often foll by from) to release or rescue (from captivity, harm, corruption, etc)
(also intr)
1. to aid in the birth of (offspring)
2. to give birth to (offspring)
3. (usually foll by of) to aid or assist (a female) in the birth (of offspring)
4. to give birth (to offspring)
to utter or present (a speech, oration, idea, etc)
deliver the goods See deliver
to utter (an exclamation, noise, etc)

to deliver a cry of exultation
to discharge or release (something, such as a blow or shot) suddenly
to cause (voters, constituencies, etc) to support a given candidate, cause, etc

can you deliver the Bronx?
to speak with deliberation or at length

to deliver oneself of a speech
informal to produce or perform something promised or expected

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

deliver Idioms

More idioms and phrases containing deliver

signed, sealed, and delivered

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of deliver

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English delivren, from Old French delivrer, from Late Latin dēlīberāre “to set free,” from dē- de- + līberāre “to free” ( see liberate)

Explanation

Whether you deliver a package, a baby, or a promise, you're bringing or carrying out something that was expected. The Post Office and UPS deliver packages, but a doctor helps deliver a baby: in that case, the doctor is helping the baby get born safely. If you promise to get an A and then you do, you delivered on your promise. Religious people ask God to deliver them from sin. Politicians often have to deliver — meaning give — speeches. In just about every case, deliver refers to something positive that's being moved, fulfilled, rescued, or carried out.

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Vocabulary lists containing deliver

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

deliver delivers delivered delivering

That allowed Woodhouse to level the match and deliver a checkout of 75 to win the deciding set 3-1 in legs.

From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026

“Despite weak productivity growth, Europe continues to deliver a good quality of life,” Blom said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

Deputies sought to deliver emergency aid until a medical team arrived and took him to a hospital.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026

The whole college football world was watching, waiting to see if USC’s coach could deliver in the most critical of moments.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026

So whenever something had to be delivered there, Alice got to deliver it.

From "The Best School Year Ever" by Barbara Robinson

Chancellor John Healey will set out Labour's tax and spending plans when he delivers his first Budget on 28 October.

From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026

"I congratulate Dr. Schmidt and his team for their exceptional achievement and for engaging students as true partners in research that delivers global impact."

From Science Daily ● Sep. 25, 2026

Tyler Glasnow delivers five no-hit innings before running into trouble in the sixth as the Dodgers lose to the San Diego Padres 4-2 to drop the three-game series.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026

Drug discovery is supposed to be where AI delivers some of humanity’s biggest benefits, yet those benefits have been “disappointingly limited,” write Andreas Bender of Khalifa University and 15 co-authors.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

As if to emphasize that she has everything “down pat” she delivers the monologue in a rhythmic, almost singsong way.

From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell

It’s a victory that will change his life, and it has delivered a blast of fresh air for a sport that needed one, writes Jason Gay.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

It’s a trend that has had more bearish investors concerned for a few years, but now Krinsky has spotted a bad breadth signal that has delivered metrics not seen in a quarter of a century.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026

New halls offer air conditioning, reclining seats and food delivered to the seat.

From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026

Goalscorer Thompson has consistently delivered up front, while the arrival of summer signing Melvine Malard from Manchester United has given them an outlet.

From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026

The question gave Penelope pause as well, for Cassiopeia was about the same age Penelope had been when she was first delivered to Swanburne—had she really been that young?

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

Shipments via Hormuz and bypass routes were delivering just under 80% of their prewar regional flows as of last week, according to tracker Kpler.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026

It's early days but the mere prospect of losing control of a property is delivering some results.

From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026

The season premiere opened Saturday with Ramy Youssef reprising his role as New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, delivering an update on the nor’easter battering the East Coast before James Austin Johnson’s Trump arrived unexpectedly.

From Salon ● Sep. 27, 2026

But even if there’s no hard camera footage of Kao giving Collins burlap sacks full of cash, there is undoubtedly a story that she got duped into delivering federal dollars to a scammer.

From Slate ● Sep. 26, 2026

Babulya had been delivering salves and potions all around the village for years in secret.

From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023