elevate
Americanverb (used with object)
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to move or raise to a higher place or position; lift up.
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to raise to a higher state, rank, or office; exalt; promote.
to elevate an archbishop to cardinal.
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to raise to a higher intellectual or spiritual level.
Good poetry may elevate the mind.
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to raise the spirits; put in high spirits.
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to raise (the voice) in pitch or volume.
adjective
verb
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to move to a higher place
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to raise in rank or status; promote
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to put in a cheerful mood; elate
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to put on a higher cultural plane; uplift
to elevate the tone of a conversation
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to raise the axis of a gun
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to raise the intensity or pitch of (the voice)
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RC Church to lift up (the Host) at Mass for adoration
Usage
What does elevate mean? To elevate something is to move it to a higher position or to lift it up, as in The mechanic elevated the car on a lift so she could work underneath it. Literally, to elevate means to move something to a higher plane. This is normally used in reference to machines or vehicles made to raise something or to lift up something like a ceiling or shelf. Elevate is more commonly used figuratively, meaning to go up in status, value, office, or something else that is measured from low to high. For example, if you become captain of your basketball team, you are elevated to the role of captain. Elevate also means to move feelings from negative to positive or to increase the positivity of feelings. If you’re feeling sad, you might try to elevate your feelings to happiness by taking a hike or going out with friends. Example: I will be elevated to the rank of vice president by the end of the year.
Synonym Usage
Elevate, enhance, exalt, heighten mean to raise or make higher in some respect. To elevate is to raise something up to a higher level, position, or state: to elevate the living standards of a group. To enhance is to add to the attractions or desirability of something: Landscaping enhances the beauty of the grounds. To exalt is to raise very high in rank, character, estimation, mood, etc.: A king is exalted above his subjects. To heighten is to increase the strength or intensity: to heighten one's powers of concentration.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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elevatesimple
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elevatessimple
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have elevatedperfect
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has elevatedperfect
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am elevatingprogressive
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are elevatingprogressive
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is elevatingprogressive
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have been elevatingperfect progressive
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has been elevatingperfect progressive
Past
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elevatedsimple
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had elevatedperfect
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was elevatingprogressive
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were elevatingprogressive
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had been elevatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of elevate
First recorded in 1490–1500; from Latin ēlevātus “lightened, lifted up,” past participle of ēlevāre “to lift up,” from ē- e- 1 + levāre “to lighten, lift”; see relieve
Explanation
To elevate is to lift up, either literally or figuratively. One way to elevate your mood is to exercise and elevate your heart rate. But if you exercise too hard and sprain your ankle, you might have to elevate it by propping it on a pillow. An elevator elevates you: it carries you to a higher floor in a building. Elevate can also mean to raise something to a higher intellectual level, as when an informed speaker elevates the level of debate about an issue. A boss can elevate, or promote, a worker to a better position. For example, a restaurant manager might elevate a superb busboy to the position of waiter. Elevate comes from Latin elevates, which means “to raise” or even "to lighten.”
Vocabulary lists containing elevate
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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:
"This study is designed to elevate the profile of aquatic deoxygenation as a global threat and show that it does not operate in isolation."
From Science Daily ● Jul. 20, 2026
The government will elevate its response to artificial intelligence with a dedicated office in his department to oversee policy.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
Capitol Historical Society, where our mission is to preserve history, elevate civics and help Americans better understand Congress and the Capitol.
From Salon ● Jul. 10, 2026
The scale of the threat is prompting calls to elevate responsibility for corporate security to the C-suite, in the same way that the financial upheaval of the 1990s pushed money managers to the CEO’s side.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 2026
“We’re playing a good game, but we need to elevate our effort,” he said.
From "Slam!" by Walter Dean Myers
While it’s still a sitcom, the show embraces sci-fi and elevates a quartet of supporting characters from “The Big Bang Theory” for a crazy multiverse ride with callbacks to the original series.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
The Ocean of Peace alliance elevates Fiji to one of Australia's few treaty allies and binds each nation to come to the other's "mutual defence".
From Barron's ● Jul. 6, 2026
My go-to acid is fresh lemon juice, which elevates soups in different ways.
From Salon ● Jun. 13, 2026
Jackson fired back that Barrett’s approach actually aggrandizes the role of the court and elevates it over Congress.
From Slate ● Jun. 11, 2026
I recalled from my music research that enjoyable music stimulates the production of the hormone serotonin, which makes us feel joy and elevates our moods by altering our brain waves.
From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas
As president a decade later, Reagan had appointed Justices Sandra Day O’Connor and Antonin Scalia to the Supreme Court and elevated William Rehnquist to be the chief justice.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026
"Disability for me has elevated my life - anything is possible if you have any kind of disability."
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
Gasoline prices have climbed above $4 a gallon as the Iran war disrupts energy markets, inflation remains elevated and interest rates are high.
From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026
The results show that broad elevated ridges, called rift flanks, develop along the sides of rift valleys when the rifts are geologically young.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 25, 2026
Instead, Herbert moved even closer to her home in Dothan, which elevated her anxieties.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
But Neff said elevating an AI Minister to cabinet at least sent a signal the Prime Minister was "serious about having someone serious in this key role".
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
You look at United and Delta, which I think have done a really nice job of elevating the communications, the technology, premiumization of that experience.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
"Beckham's role in elevating soccer's profile in America and his lasting influence on sports, entertainment, and global culture make this honor especially meaningful," she said.
From Barron's ● Jun. 2, 2026
Maybe baseball stopped being a game when her husband signed a four-year, $72 million contract with the Dodgers before the 2025 season, elevating expectations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 1, 2026
Their names were Gus and Wes and they had succeeded in elevating medicine to an exact science.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
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.
