elevate
Americanverb (used with object)
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elevates,
present (3rd person singular)
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elevated,
past participle, past
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elevating
present participle
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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:
The family patriarch leveraged Hollywood glamour with entertainment spectacle to elevate the team into an internationally recognized brand.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
Confirmation can elevate the official; it cannot ratify the paper.
From Slate ● Aug. 10, 2026
It is also clear that through sport, specifically weightlifting, she found a talent which could elevate her.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
It isn’t enough to win a title, but scratch hacker Curry could elevate James’s nascent golf game.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
“In the pictures, the sets are often outfitted with fine pieces rented from shops like Chan’s. You could certainly elevate your production by doing the same.”
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
It was the first album they recorded live in the studio since the ’90s, and that aspect elevates almost every song on this record; they all feel incredibly vibrant.
From Salon ● Aug. 25, 2026
It then sidles up to a smaller U.S. government jet and elevates its container once again, presumably letting Trump board unnoticed.
From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026
Mr. Ogilvy, who was educated at Oxford and later became a chef, writes in propulsive prose that elevates this, his first book, above a simple history.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
“The horse elevates the art; symbolically, it carries connotations of elegance and nobility,” González said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026
There are a couple people dancing behind him—friends, strangers, who knows, who cares—and this energy elevates me.
From "They Both Die at the End" by Adam Silvera
“The renewed rise in oil and gas prices, persistently elevated refining margins, the gradual withdrawal of government support and unfavorable base effects all point to sustained energy inflation pressures,” they said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
Jet fuel prices will remain elevated over the July-December period, it forecast, vowing to pursue mitigating actions such as hedging for crude oil price changes.
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
Oil prices have receded from those peaks but are still volatile, while jet-fuel refining margins remain elevated.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
The strategist said that when growth expectations are elevated and the outlook for interest rates is more benign, such as now, bonds tend to rally in the following months.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026
In his glory days, Carpenter elevated the ploys and chicanery of his trade to a devilish art.
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
Leslie Vooris shares some recommendations for elevating your drinking experience by investing in fancy glassware.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
‘Stuart Fails to Save the Universe’ is a wildly different series from ‘The Big Bang Theory’ and its prequels, elevating Kevin Sussman, Brian Posehn, Lauren Lapkus and John Ross Bowie to leads.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 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
A major heat wave across Southern California’s interior is expected to push temperatures into the triple digits this week, further elevating the fire threat and raising concerns about health risks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
They'd lived their code—Izzat— fighting for freedom, protecting the innocent, elevating loyalty to their own people above all else.
From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir
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.
