hoist
verb · noun
Simple meaning
Raise or haul up with or as if with mechanical help.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
hoystIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈhɔɪst
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
verb
Raise or haul up with or as if with mechanical help
transitive
To raise; to lift; to elevate (especially, to raise or lift to a desired elevation, by means of tackle or pulley, said of a sail, a flag, a heavy package or weight).
transitivesportsoften figurative
To lift a trophy or similar prize into the air in celebration of a victory.
transitiveslang
To steal.
transitiveslang
To rob.
noun
The act of hoisting; a lift.
Any member of certain classes of devices that hoist things.
The triangular vertical position of a flag, as opposed to the flying state, or triangular vertical position of a sail, when flying from a mast.
The position of a flag (on a mast) or of a sail on a ship when lifted up to its highest level.
The position of a main fore-and-aft topsail on a ship and fore fore-and-aft topsail on a ship.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C1 · Advanced
- Frequency
- Uncommon
- Typical Use
- Primarily written
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: Raise or haul up with or as if with mechanical help
Used this way, hoist is a specialist word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. This is an engineering use: it is a working term used for accuracy on the job.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Specialist/technical
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Specialized
- Connotation
- Clinical and technical
- Usage feel
- Technical and specialized
Where it naturally appears
- Technical/specialist writing
- Science
Usage note
In general conversation this sense usually needs explaining — outside its field, people reach for a plainer word.
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use hoist
- “They hoisted the patient onto the operating table.”verb
- “Hoist the bicycle onto the roof of the car.”verb
Share your sentence
Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Tap the highlighted word to open its own entry.
Use This Word
See how this word sounds in a real sentence.
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Use it yourself
Knowing “hoist” starts when you use it. Pick a next step, all free.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.