deliver
Americanverb (used with object)
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to carry and turn over (letters, goods, etc.) to the intended recipient or recipients.
to deliver mail;
to deliver a package.
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to give into another's possession or keeping; surrender.
to deliver a prisoner to the police;
to deliver a bond.
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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
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to give forth or emit.
The oil well delivers 500 barrels a day.
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to strike or throw.
to deliver a blow.
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to set free or liberate.
The Israelites were delivered from bondage.
- Synonyms:
- release, emancipate
- Antonyms:
- confine
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to release or save.
Deliver me from such tiresome people!
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to assist (a female) in bringing forth young.
The doctor delivered her of twins.
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to assist at the birth of.
The doctor delivered the baby.
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to give birth to.
She delivered twins at 4 a.m.
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to disburden (oneself ) of thoughts, opinions, etc.
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to make known; assert.
verb (used without object)
-
to give birth.
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to provide a delivery service for goods and products.
The store delivers free of charge.
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to do or carry out as promised.
an ad agency known for delivering when a successful campaign is needed.
adjective
verb
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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
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to hand over, transfer, or surrender
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(often foll by from) to release or rescue (from captivity, harm, corruption, etc)
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(also intr)
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to aid in the birth of (offspring)
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to give birth to (offspring)
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(usually foll by of) to aid or assist (a female) in the birth (of offspring)
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to give birth (to offspring)
-
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to utter or present (a speech, oration, idea, etc)
-
deliver the goods See deliver
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to utter (an exclamation, noise, etc)
to deliver a cry of exultation
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to discharge or release (something, such as a blow or shot) suddenly
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to cause (voters, constituencies, etc) to support a given candidate, cause, etc
can you deliver the Bronx?
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to speak with deliberation or at length
to deliver oneself of a speech
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informal to produce or perform something promised or expected
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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deliverabilitynoun
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deliverernoun
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misdeliververb (used with object)
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outdeliververb (used with object)
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predeliververb (used with object)
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deliverableadjective
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undeliveredadjective
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well-deliveredadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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deliversimple
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deliverssimple
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have deliveredperfect
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has deliveredperfect
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am deliveringprogressive
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are deliveringprogressive
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is deliveringprogressive
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have been deliveringperfect progressive
-
has been deliveringperfect progressive
Past
-
deliveredsimple
-
had deliveredperfect
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was deliveringprogressive
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were deliveringprogressive
-
had been deliveringperfect progressive
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.
Vocabulary lists containing deliver
The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 3
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The New SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The ACT Reading Test: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 3
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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:
Astrobotic, Firefly Aerospace, and Intuitive Machines will deliver scientific instruments to the Moon as part of NASA's growing Moon Base Program, which aims to create the first long-term outpost on another world.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 14, 2026
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the fund would deliver a "step change in protection" for Jewish communities.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
As these companies spend more, they’ll need to deliver “materially incremental, durable and profitable revenue growth” to justify their investments, Nowak wrote.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
They also deliver something that has been deemed very, very bad in 21st century television — spoilers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
“Althea, could you please take the Msaidizi and deliver it to the secure facility?”
From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas
“I love Farage, he’s a good boy,” said John Hill, 77, expressing a widely held view that he delivers for the town.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
“California’s workers, entrepreneurs, and innovators continue to prove that investing in California delivers real results,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement last week in response to strong productivity numbers for the state.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
The morning begins in Philadelphia, where President Harris delivers remarks from Independence Hall.
From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026
Curry's choice of Li-Ning over more established brands like Nike and Adidas "signals the product delivers at the highest level", IMG's Zhu said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026
My eyes are laser-locked on Brayden’s hand right as he rocks into his windup and delivers the pitch.
From "A High Five for Glenn Burke" by Phil Bildner
When McCain died in 2018, Graham delivered a tearful remembrance of his friend on the Senate floor and then came up to the press gallery for a question-and-answer session with reporters.
From Slate ● Jul. 14, 2026
These frozen environments contain ice that may have trapped material delivered by comets and asteroids billions of years ago.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 13, 2026
The US Embassy said it has delivered 100,000 aid kits to the affected communities.
From Barron's ● Jul. 12, 2026
"Then, when it was needed at the factory, it was brought on by a diesel train pulling a single truck so that it could be delivered."
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
He took out a syringe to extract the virus from the vial and inject it into the clear plastic tube that delivered extra oxygen into various rooms each afternoon.
From "City Spies" by James Ponti
“But at the same time, we hear from our community that they feel much stronger economical pressure, and we want to make sure we are delivering on price.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
Investors shouldn’t count on the Federal Reserve delivering only one interest-rate hike, according to a fixed-income strategist.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 10, 2026
From remote-controlled trucks delivering life-saving aid in dangerous settings to mobile phone data analysis flagging mass displacement, humanitarians are eyeing ways in which artificial intelligence can speed up and improve their operations.
From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026
As well as delivering the Uefa Pro Licence and A-licence as a coaching educator, he was responsible for youth development across Morocco between 2020 and 2024.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
Yesterday was one of the days when I was delivering a message to a specific person.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
