deliver
Americanverb (used with object)
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delivers,
present (3rd person singular)
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delivered,
past participle, past
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delivering
present participle
-
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)
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delivers,
present (3rd person singular)
-
delivered,
past participle, past
-
delivering
present participle
-
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)
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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
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deliveredsimple
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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
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
“Our branding and marketing must deliver demand,” Wright said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
By keeping the ruthenium atoms isolated, the design can deliver strong catalytic performance while requiring only very small amounts of metal, improving efficiency compared with conventional systems.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026
The plans would also "safeguard the opportunity to deliver a pedestrian link to a future rail halt directly serving the airport".
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
With vast sums lavished on artificial intelligence investment over the past two years, markets are growing increasingly nervous about whether firms can deliver results to match.
From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026
“Aren’t you the messenger from the Grand Hotel who was supposed to deliver that small box to a general’s house? There has been a great deal of trouble because of you.”
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
A positive for Nvidia investors is that shares haven’t seen the kind of pre-earnings surge that could lead to profit taking even if it delivers good news.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026
US drugmakers Merck and Moderna said Wednesday an experimental melanoma drug that delivers treatment tailored to a patient's specific tumor prevented the cancer from returning in a large clinical trial.
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
But this is all a feint: The movie sets you up for one thing and then delivers another.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
Leveraging lets an investor control a larger number of stocks than their own cash would otherwise allow, which delivers a bigger profit if the shares rise.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
The delivery boy from the bakery has supplied us with darning thread—90 cents for one measly skein—the milkman can get hold of ration books, an undertaker delivers cheese.
From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank
This included perforin, a protein that creates holes in target cells, and granzyme A, a toxic molecule delivered through those openings.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026
That’s not bad news for growth stocks, but value names historically have delivered more consistent outperformance.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026
Prime Minister Mark Carney delivered on his promise to walk away from what he called a “bad deal” with the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
He felt he delivered in his most recent role at Panathinaikos, securing the top-four finish he had been tasked with achieving when he took the job in October, but was still sacked in May.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
“I’ve just delivered Lord Fredrick Ashton to the humble cottage he’s paid a king’s ransom to rent. I trust that meets with your approval, governess.”
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
The winter of 2015 and 2016, which coincided with a very strong El Niño, brought a succession of major storms delivering what experts at the time described as the most extreme flooding on record.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
Reese finished a perfect 100% from the field, delivering 20 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
Alibaba Cloud’s external revenue growth accelerated to 45%, with AI-related product revenue delivering triple-digit growth for the 12th straight quarter, Wu said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
"Emissions are gradually falling, but progress stalled in 2024, and current policy settings are not delivering at the pace needed," Hendy said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
The boots turned out to belong not to a guest but to a man delivering the Cucaracha Voice.
From "Ralph S. Mouse" by Beverly Cleary
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.
