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:
We can teach history honestly, elevate civics, vote, serve, listen and continue believing, as Lincoln urged us, in the better angels of our nature.
From Salon ● Jul. 10, 2026
“You can then elevate the vocal without elevating everything else.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 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
"The commitment to elevate some of these historic international tournaments and national opens is incredibly important for the game," the Northern Irishman said.
From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026
The movie was helping elevate me past groundling status, just like I’d hoped.
From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon
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
“The horse elevates the art; symbolically, it carries connotations of elegance and nobility,” González said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026
A little salty, a little sweet, packed with the kind of umami flavor that takes any dish to the next level, and elevates a flavor profile to make you feel like a pro.
From Salon ● Jun. 11, 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
Vermeer’s mastery of light’s expressive qualities elevates his concern for the reality of appearance to the level of poetry and subsumes its visual and symbolic possibilities.
From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson
The firm reported water use was "significantly higher" than normal, with demand elevated for longer each day and into the night during recent hot weather - the second heatwave of the summer.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
It could not determine whether elevated serotonin contributed to the disease, resulted from it, or reflected another biological process.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 12, 2026
That comes on top of elevated mortgage rates.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 10, 2026
A National Interagency Fire Center prediction map showed the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming at particularly elevated risk.
From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026
What I had originally thought were walls of gallows were actually elevated wooden benches.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
"Off the pitch, building on my passion for youth development, I am equally excited to work with Michele in elevating women's football in England and on the global stage."
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
"You are elevating things that I would interpret as good for you, and you're recovering very quickly".
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026
“They could have come up with a harder guidance, elevating the bar for additional cuts, but they are not saying that,” Ramos said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 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
I had read some of the classic Greek plays in prison, and found them enormously elevating.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
