elevate — English Dictionary

elevate
Pronunciations (3)
  • /ˈɛləveɪt/
  • /ˈɛləvət/
  • ˈɛləveɪt

Verb

  1. To raise (something) to a higher position.

    Usage
    • Transitive
    Synonyms
    Antonyms
    Examples

    The doctor told me elevating my legs would help reduce the swelling.

    The Grace or Blessynge of the table to be sayed of chyldren standynge before it, thyr handes eleuated and ioyned to gyder

    More examples (3)

    She had one eye declined for the loss of her husband, another elevated that the oracle was fulfilled: […]

    1750, Samuel Johnson, The Rambler, No. 25, 12 June, 1750, Volume 1, London: J. Payne and J. Bouquet, 1752, p. 216, We know that a few strokes of the axe will lop a cedar; but what arts of cultivation can elevate a shrub?

    Abdulla expressed his surprise by elevating his eyebrows.

  2. To promote (someone) to a higher rank.

    Usage
    • Transitive
    Synonyms
    Antonyms
    Examples

    Hard Fate of Greatness, We so highly Elevated Are more expos’d to Censure than the little ones,

    Nothing can set the regal character in a more contemptible point of view, than the various crimes that have elevated men to the supreme dignity.

    More examples (3)

    […] that’s the way things go when you elevate mediocre people to positions of authority.

    Much has also been made recently of the distorting effects exerted on the administration of Urban VIII by the interests of the Barberini nephews, especially of the two elevated to cardinal status.

    At that point, you have to elevate the account's rights, activate the feature, and then demote the account again.

  3. To promote (someone) to a higher rank. To temporarily grant a program additional security privileges to the system to perform a privileged action (usually on the program's request).

    Usage
    • Transitive
    Examples

    Did you forget that all programs that modify the registry need to be elevated?

  4. To confer honor or nobility on (someone).

    Usage
    • Transitive
    Examples

    The traditional worldview elevates man as the pinnacle of creation.

    For loftie type of honour through the glaunce Of enuies dart, is downe in dust prostrate;

  5. To make (something or someone) more worthy or of greater value.

    Usage
    • Transitive
    Examples

    A talented chef can elevate everyday ingredients into gourmet delights.

    […] if you encourage a young Beginner, who knows but he may elevate his stile a little,

    More examples (2)

    He is the true artist, who copies nature; but, where he finds her mean, elevates her from his own ideas of beauty.

    You can’t think how it elevates him in my opinion, to know for certain that he’s really conscientious!

  6. To direct (the mind, thoughts, etc.) toward more worthy things.

    Usage
    • Transitive
    Examples

    […] the devout Christian improves the Blessings he receives of this inferiour World, to elevate his mind above it:

    On the whole I would regard serious art as a means to elevate the emotions and educate the spirit […]

  7. To increase the intensity or degree of (something).

    Usage
    • Transitive
    Examples

    Some drugs have the side effect of elevating your blood sugar level.

  8. To increase the intensity or degree of (something). To increase the loudness of (a sound, especially one's voice).

    Usage
    • Dated
    • Transitive
    Examples

    […] the Uncle had more than once elevated his Voice, so as to be heard down Stairs;

    “We’ll see to that,” Wolf Larsen answered, and elevated his voice in a call of “Cooky!”

  9. To lift the spirits of (someone)

    Usage
    • Obsolete
    • Transitive
    Examples

    […] Hope elevates, and joy Bright’ns his Crest,

    More examples (1)

    1759, Adam Smith, The Theory of Moral Sentiments, Edinburgh: A. Kincaid and J. Bell, Part 1, Section 2, Chapter 1, p. 20, It gives us the spleen […] to see another too happy or too much elevated, as we call it, with any little piece of good fortune.

  10. To intoxicate in a slight degree; to make (someone) tipsy.

    Usage
    • Colloquial
    • Dated
    • Humorous
    Examples
    More examples (1)

    Steele entertained them till he was tipsy; when the same wine that stupified him, only served to elevate Addison, who took up the ball just as Steele dropt it, and kept it up for the rest of the evening.

    [Johnson,] from drinking only water, supposed every body who drank wine to be elevated

    […] the elevated Cavaliers […] sent to Roger Raine of the Peveril Arms […] for two tubs of merry stingo

  11. To attempt to make (something) seem less important, remarkable, etc.

    Usage
    • Latinism
    • Obsolete
    Examples
    More examples (1)

    1660, Jeremy Taylor, Ductor Dubitantium, London: Richard Royston, Volume 1, Chapter 4, Rule 2, p. 126, […] the Arabian Physicians […] endevour to elevate and lessen the thing [i.e. belief in the virgin birth of Jesus], by saying, It is not wholly beyond the force of nature, that a Virgin should conceive […]

Adjective

  1. Elevated, raised aloft.

    Usage
    • Obsolete
    Examples
    More examples (1)

    1548, Edward Hall, The Union of the Two Noble and Illustre Families of Lancastre and Yorke, London: Richard Grafton, Henry VII, year 6, The sayde crosse was .iii. tymes deuoutly eleuate, and at euery exaltacion, ye Moores beyng within the cytie, roared, howled and cryed,

    Others apart sat on a Hill retir’d, In thoughts more elevate,

Verb

  1. give a promotion to or assign to a higher position

    Examples

    John was kicked upstairs when a replacement was hired

    Women tend not to advance in the major law firms

    More examples (1)

    I got promoted after many years of hard work

  2. raise from a lower to a higher position

    Broader terms
    Examples

    Raise your hands

    Lift a load

  3. raise in rank or condition

    Synonyms
    Broader terms
    Examples

    The new law lifted many people from poverty

Word forms
elevateselevatingelevatedelevatedmore elevatemost elevate

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