hoist

American  

[hoist, hahyst] / hɔɪst, haɪst /

verb (used with object)

hoists, present (3rd person singular) hoisted, past participle, past hoisting present participle

1. to raise or lift, especially by some mechanical appliance.

   to hoist a flag; to hoist the mainsail.

   Synonyms:

   elevate

   Antonyms:

   lower

2. to raise to one's lips and drink; drink (especially beer or whiskey) with gusto.

   Let's go hoist a few beers.

3. Archaic. a simple past tense and past participle of hoise.

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noun

hoists plural

1. an apparatus for hoisting, as a block and tackle, a derrick, or a crane.

2. act of hoisting; a lift.

   Give that sofa a hoist at your end.

3. Nautical.

   1. the vertical dimension amidships of any square sail that is hoisted with a yard.

   2. the distance between the hoisted and the lowered position of such a yard.

   3. the dimension of a fore-and-aft sail along the luff.

   4. a number of flags raised together as a signal.

4. (on a flag)

   1. the vertical dimension as flown from a vertical staff.

   2. the edge running next to the staff.

idioms

1. hoist by / with one's own petard. petard.

hoist British  

/ hɔɪst /

verb

1. (tr) to raise or lift up, esp by mechanical means

2. See petard

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noun

1. any apparatus or device for hoisting

2. the act of hoisting

3. See rotary clothesline

4. nautical

   1. the amidships height of a sail bent to the yard with which it is hoisted Compare drop

   2. the difference between the set and lowered positions of this yard

5. nautical the length of the luff of a fore-and-aft sail

6. nautical a group of signal flags

7. the inner edge of a flag next to the staff Compare fly 1

Synonym Usage

See raise.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• hoister
  noun
• unhoisted
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• hoists
  plural

Participles

• hoisting
  present
• hoisted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• hoist
  simple
• hoists
  simple
• have hoisted
  perfect
• has hoisted
  perfect
• am hoisting
  progressive
• are hoisting
  progressive
• is hoisting
  progressive
• have been hoisting
  perfect progressive
• has been hoisting
  perfect progressive

Past

• hoisted
  simple
• had hoisted
  perfect
• was hoisting
  progressive
• were hoisting
  progressive
• had been hoisting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will hoist
  simple
• will have hoisted
  perfect
• will be hoisting
  progressive
• will have been hoisting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of hoist

First recorded in 1540–50; later variant of hoise, with -t as in against, etc.

Explanation

To hoist is to raise up or lift, like a crane or forklift would. You can hoist yourself up onto the roof to get a better view, or hoist your teammate onto your shoulders after she scores the winning goal. This word is generally used to describe heavier lifting, like the hoisting of a fallen tree onto the bed of a truck or hoisting the Super Bowl trophy over your head after the big game. In nautical terms, where it comes up often, hoist refers to a group of flags that are raised all at once to communicate a signal.

Example Sentences

By the time the new bed extension and hoist were to be installed, in September 2025, Hull had become too ill, and died soon after.

From BBC • Jun. 30, 2026

In addition to Portugal, another nation targeted by Levy’s AI model is Morocco — representing a continent, Africa, that has never seen one of its nations hoist the trophy.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 11, 2026

Their faces are pasted on walls and lampposts across Mexico, and demonstrators regularly hoist banners demanding the return of loved ones whose names are memorialized in chants.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026

The mayor of Greenland's capital on Thursday called on media professionals and content creators to act responsibly after a failed attempt by a German comedian to hoist the US flag.

From Barron's • Jan. 29, 2026

I asked Luke to hoist it onto a shelf in my closet, but Dad told me to keep it low, where I could fetch it quick, so I slept with it in my bed.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover

Related Words

• erect
• heave
• pick up