Lift vs. Raise — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman & Maham Liaqat — Updated on March 25, 2024
Lift is often used to describe the action of moving something upwards without implying a specific direction or support, while raise usually implies elevating something to a higher position with support from below.
Difference Between Lift and Raise
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Lift involves applying force to elevate an object directly, emphasizing the action of moving something upwards from its current position. This action doesn't necessarily specify how or where the support is applied, making it a more general term. For example, one might lift a box off the ground, indicating they are elevating it directly. Conversely, raise often suggests an elevation process that involves support or lifting from below, and can also imply increasing something in amount or degree, not limited to physical movement. When you raise your hand, it signifies a deliberate motion to elevate it to a higher position, usually with clear intent or purpose.
In physical contexts, lifting can be associated with manual or mechanical means and doesn’t always indicate that the object will remain elevated once the force is removed. On the other hand, raising something often carries the implication that the object’s new position is somewhat maintained or supported, as when raising a flag up a flagpole, where the flag remains at the top.
Lift can also have abstract uses, such as lifting someone’s spirits, where it means to cause an improvement or elevation in mood or situation. Raise, similarly, can be used in non-physical contexts, like raising awareness or raising standards, where it implies increasing the level or intensity of something.
When it comes to machinery or technology, the terms can be used more interchangeably but still retain their distinct nuances. An elevator lifts people between floors of a building, directly elevating them without implying support from below. In contrast, a device that raises a platform might do so from a specific support point, ensuring that the platform remains at a higher level once elevated.
Despite their differences, both actions are crucial in various contexts, from construction and physical tasks to metaphorical applications in improving conditions or standards. Understanding the subtle distinction between lift and raise can help in choosing the most appropriate term based on the action or outcome desired.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Moving something upwards without specifying direction
Elevating something to a higher position with support
Contexts
Physical and abstract
Physical, abstract, and quantitative
Implication
Direct elevation of an object
Elevation with support and maintenance of position
Examples
Lifting a box, lifting spirits
Raising a flag, raising awareness
Machinery Use
Elevators lift people between floors
Devices that raise platforms from below
Compare with Definitions
Lift
Increasing altitude or height.
The helicopter began to lift off the ground.
Raise
Lifting something to a specified height.
The curtain will raise at eight o'clock.
Lift
Raising to a higher level.
The act lifted the community's morale.
Raise
To elevate something with support from below.
They worked together to raise the beam into place.
Lift
Improving mood or situation.
The good news lifted her spirits.
Raise
Increasing in amount or degree.
The company decided to raise salaries this year.
Lift
To elevate something directly.
He can lift heavy weights without effort.
Raise
Causing to rise or increase.
The campaign aims to raise awareness about environmental issues.
Lift
Elevating through mechanical means.
The crane lifted the beams to the top of the building.
Raise
Elevating to a higher position.
Raise your hand if you have a question.
Lift
To direct or carry from a lower to a higher position; raise
Lift one's eyes.
Lifted the suitcase.
Raise
To move to a higher position; elevate
Raised the loads with a crane.
Lift
To transport by air
The helicopter lifted the entire team to the meet.
Raise
To set in an upright or erect position
Raise a flagpole.
Lift
To revoke by taking back; rescind
Lifted the embargo.
Raise
To erect or build
Raise a new building.
Lift
To bring an end to (a blockade or siege) by removing forces.
Raise
To cause to arise, appear, or exist
The slap raised a welt.
Lift
To cease (artillery fire) in an area.
Raise
To increase in size, quantity, or worth
Raise an employee's salary.
Lift
To raise in condition, rank, or esteem
Work that lifted her in the eyes of her colleagues.
Raise
To increase in intensity, degree, strength, or pitch
Raised his voice.
Lift
To uplift; elate
Your telephone call really lifted my spirits.
Raise
To improve in rank or dignity; promote
Raised her to management level.
Lift
To remove (plants) from the ground for transplanting.
Raise
To grow, especially in quantity; cultivate
Raise corn and soybeans.
Lift
To project or sound in loud, clear tones
Lifted their voices in song.
Raise
To breed and care for to maturity
Raise cattle.
Lift
(Informal) To steal; pilfer
A thief lifted my wallet.
Raise
To bring up; rear
Raise children.
Lift
(Informal) To copy from something already published; plagiarize
Lifted whole paragraphs from the encyclopedia.
Raise
To accustom to something from an early age
"a post-World War II generation raised on shopping malls and multiplex cinemas" (Gustav Niebuhr).
Lift
To pay off or clear (a debt or mortgage, for example).
Raise
To put forward for consideration
Raised an important question. See Synonyms at broach1.
Lift
To perform cosmetic surgery on (the face, for example), especially in order to remove wrinkles or sagging skin.
Raise
To voice; utter
Raise a shout.
Lift
(Sports) To hit (a golf ball) very high into the air.
Raise
To awaken; arouse
Noise that would raise the dead.
Lift
To pick up (a golf ball) to place it in a better lie.
Raise
To stir up; instigate
Raise a revolt.
Lift
To shoot or flip (a puck) so that it rises sharply off the ice.
Raise
To bring about; provoke
Remarks intended to raise a laugh.
Lift
To rise; ascend.
Raise
To make contact with by radio
Couldn't raise the control tower after midnight.
Lift
To yield to upward pressure
These windows lift easily.
Raise
To gather together; collect
Raise money from the neighbors for a charity.
Lift
To disappear or disperse by or as if by rising
By afternoon the smog had lifted.
Raise
To cause (dough) to puff up.
Lift
To stop temporarily
The rain lifted by morning.
Raise
To end (a siege) by withdrawing troops or forcing the enemy troops to withdraw.
Lift
To become elevated; soar
Their spirits lifted when help came.
Raise
To remove or withdraw (an order).
Lift
The act or process of rising or raising to a higher position.
Raise
To increase (a poker bet).
Lift
Power or force available for raising
The lift of a pump.
Raise
To bet more than (a preceding bettor in poker).
Lift
An organized effort or a flight transporting supplies or people by airplane; an airlift.
Raise
To increase the bid of (one's bridge partner).
Lift
The extent or height to which something is raised or rises; the amount of elevation.
Raise
(Nautical) To bring into sight by approaching nearer
Raised the Cape.
Lift
The distance or space through which something is raised or rises.
Raise
To alter and increase fraudulently the written value of (a check, for example).
Lift
A rise or an elevation in the level of the ground.
Raise
To cough up (phlegm).
Lift
An elevation of the spirits
The good news gave us a lift.
Raise
(Scots) To make angry; enrage.
Lift
A raised, high, or erect position, as of a part of the body
The lift of his chin.
Raise
To increase a poker bet or a bridge bid.
Lift
A machine or device designed to pick up, raise, or carry something.
Raise
The act of raising or increasing.
Lift
One of the layers of leather, rubber, or other material making up the heel of a shoe.
Raise
An increase in salary.
Lift
Chiefly British A passenger or cargo elevator.
Raise
(physical) To cause to rise; to lift or elevate.
To raise your hand if you want to say something; to raise your walking stick to defend yourself
Lift
A ride in a vehicle given to help someone reach a destination
Gave my friend a lift into town.
Raise
To form by the accumulation of materials or constituent parts; to build up; to erect.
To raise a wall, or a heap of stones
Lift
Assistance or help
Gave her a lift with her heavy packages.
Raise
To cause something to come to the surface of water.
The ship was raised ten years after it had sunk.
Lift
A set of pumps used in a mine.
Raise
(nautical) To cause (the land or any other object) to seem higher by drawing nearer to it.
To raise Sandy Hook light
Lift
The component of the total aerodynamic force acting on an airfoil or on an entire aircraft or winged missile perpendicular to the relative wind and normally exerted in an upward direction, opposing the pull of gravity.
Raise
To make (bread, etc.) light, as by yeast or leaven.
Lift
(ambitransitive) To raise or rise.
The fog eventually lifted, leaving the streets clear.
You never lift a finger to help me!
Raise
(figurative) To cause (a dead person) to live again; to resurrect.
The magic spell raised the dead from their graves!
Lift
To steal.
Raise
(military) To remove or break up (a blockade), either by withdrawing the ships or forces employed in enforcing it, or by driving them away or dispersing them.
Lift
To source directly without acknowledgement; to plagiarise.
Raise
To relinquish (a siege), or cause this to be done.
Lift
To arrest (a person).
Raise
(transitive) To create, increase or develop.
We need to raise the motivation level in the company.
To raise the quality of the products; to raise the price of goods; to raise (increase) taxes
Lift
(transitive) To remove (a ban, restriction, etc.).
Raise
To collect or amass.
To raise a lot of money for charity; to raise troops
Lift
(transitive) To alleviate, to lighten (pressure, tension, stress, etc.)
Raise
(obsolete) To call up the forces of, to raise the troops from.
Lift
(transitive) to cause to move upwards.
Raise
To bring up; to grow.
We visited a farm where they raise chickens.
Chew with your mouth shut — were you raised in a barn?
Lift
To lift weights; to weight-lift.
She lifts twice a week at the gym.
Raise
To promote.
To raise somebody to office
Lift
To try to raise something; to exert the strength for raising or bearing.
Raise
To mention (a question, issue) for discussion.
A few important questions were raised after the attack.
Lift
To elevate or improve in rank, condition, etc.; often with up.
Raise
(legal) To create; to constitute (a use, or a beneficial interest in property).
There should be some consideration (i.e., payment or exchange) to raise a use.
Lift
(obsolete) To bear; to support.
Raise
To bring into being; to produce; to cause to arise, come forth, or appear.
Starting in January we will raise (introduce) taxes on all tobacco substitutes and vaping accessories.
Lift
To collect, as moneys due; to raise.
Raise
To establish contact with (e.g., by telephone or radio).
Despite all the call congestion, she was eventually able to raise the police.
Lift
(programming) To transform (a function) into a corresponding function in a different context.
Raise
To respond to a bet by increasing the amount required to continue in the hand.
John bet, and Julie raised, requiring John to put in more money.
Lift
(finance) To buy a security or other asset previously offered for sale.
Raise
(arithmetic) To exponentiate, to involute.
Two raised to the fifth power equals 32.
Lift
To take (hounds) off the existing scent and move them to another spot.
Raise
To extract (a subject or other verb argument) out of an inner clause.
Lift
An act of lifting or raising.
Raise
To produce a vowel with the tongue positioned closer to the roof of the mouth.
Lift
The act of transporting someone in a vehicle; a ride; a trip.
He gave me a lift to the bus station.
Raise
To increase the nominal value of (a cheque, money order, etc.) by fraudulently changing the writing or printing in which the sum payable is specified.
Lift
Mechanical device for vertically transporting goods or people between floors in a building.
Take the lift to the fourth floor.
Raise
To instantiate and transmit (an exception, by throwing it, or an event).
A division by zero will raise an exception.
Lift
An upward force, such as the force that keeps aircraft aloft.
Raise
To open, initiate.
I will raise a trouble-ticket in order to correct this reporting issue.
Lift
(measurement) The difference in elevation between the upper pool and lower pool of a waterway, separated by lock.
Raise
(US) pay raise: an increase in wages or salary.
The boss gave me a raise.
Lift
A thief.
Raise
(weightlifting) A shoulder exercise in which the arms are elevated against resistance.
Lift
(dance) The lifting of a dance partner into the air.
Raise
(curling) A shot in which the delivered stone bumps another stone forward.
Lift
Permanent construction with a built-in platform that is lifted vertically.
Raise
(poker) A bet that increases the previous bet.
Lift
(figurative) An improvement in mood.
Raise
A cairn or pile of stones.
Lift
The amount or weight to be lifted.
What's the maximum lift of this crane?
Raise
To cause to rise; to bring from a lower to a higher place; to lift upward; to elevate; to heave; as, to raise a stone or weight.
Lift
The space or distance through which anything is lifted.
Raise
To bring to a higher condition or situation; to elevate in rank, dignity, and the like; to increase the value or estimation of; to promote; to exalt; to advance; to enhance; as, to raise from a low estate; to raise to office; to raise the price, and the like.
This gentleman came to be raised to great titles.
The plate pieces of eight were raised three pence in the piece.
Lift
A rise; a degree of elevation.
The lift of a lock in canals
Raise
To cause to rise up, or assume an erect position or posture; to set up; to make upright; as, to raise a mast or flagstaff.
Lift
A liftgate.
Raise
To increase the strength, vigor, or vehemence of; to excite; to intensify; to invigorate; to heighten; as, to raise the pulse; to raise the voice; to raise the spirits or the courage; to raise the heat of a furnace.
Lift
(nautical) A rope leading from the masthead to the extremity of a yard below, and used for raising or supporting the end of the yard.
Raise
To cause to spring up from a recumbent position, from a state of quiet, or the like; to awaken; to arouse.
They shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.
Lift
(engineering) One of the steps of a cone pulley.
Raise
To cause to arise, grow up, or come into being or to appear; to give rise to; to originate, produce, cause, effect, or the like.
Lift
(shoemaking) A layer of leather in the heel of a shoe.
Raise
To elevate in degree according to some scale; as, to raise the pitch of the voice; to raise the temperature of a room.
Lift
(horology) That portion of the vibration of a balance during which the impulse is given.
Raise
To rouse to action; to stir up; to incite to tumult, struggle, or war; to excite.
He commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind.
Æneas . . . employs his pains,In parts remote, to raise the Tuscan swains.
Lift
Air.
Raise
To form by the accumulation of materials or constituent parts; to build up; to erect; as, to raise a lofty structure, a wall, a heap of stones.
I will raise forts against thee.
Lift
The sky; the heavens; firmament; atmosphere.
Raise
To cause to rise, as by the effect of leaven; to make light and spongy, as bread.
Miss Liddy can dance a jig, and raise paste.
Lift
The sky; the atmosphere; the firmament.
Raise
To bring together; to collect; to levy; to get together or obtain for use or service; as, to raise money, troops, and the like.
Lift
Act of lifting; also, that which is lifted.
Raise
To cause (the land or any other object) to seem higher by drawing nearer to it; as, to raise Sandy Hook light.
Lift
The space or distance through which anything is lifted; as, a long lift.
Raise
To cause to grow; to procure to be produced, bred, or propagated; to grow; as, to raise corn, barley, hops, etc.; toraise cattle.
I was raised, as they say in Virginia, among the mountains of the North.
Lift
Help; assistance, as by lifting.
The goat gives the fox a lift.
Raise
To create or constitute; as, to raise a use, that is, to create it.
Lift
That by means of which a person or thing lifts or is lifted
Raise
To bring into being; to produce; to cause to arise, come forth, or appear; - often with up.
I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee.
God vouchsafes to raise another worldFrom him [Noah], and all his anger to forget.
Lift
A rise; a degree of elevation; as, the lift of a lock in canals.
Raise
To give rise to; to set agoing; to occasion; to start; to originate; as, to raise a smile or a blush.
Thou shalt not raise a false report.
Lift
A lift gate. See Lift gate, below.
Raise
To give vent or utterance to; to utter; to strike up.
Soon as the prince appears, they raise a cry.
Lift
A rope leading from the masthead to the extremity of a yard below; - used for raising or supporting the end of the yard.
Raise
To bring to notice; to submit for consideration; as, to raise a point of order; to raise an objection.
Lift
One of the steps of a cone pulley.
Raise
The amount a salary is increased;
He got a 3% raise
He got a wage hike
Lift
A layer of leather in the heel.
Raise
An upward slope or grade (as in a road);
The car couldn't make it up the rise
Lift
That portion of the vibration of a balance during which the impulse is given.
Raise
Increasing the size of a bet (as in poker);
I'll see your raise and double it
Lift
A brightening of the spirits; encouragement; as, the campaign workers got a lift from the President's endorsement.
Raise
The act of raising something;
He responded with a lift of his eyebrow
Fireman learn several different raises for getting ladders up
Lift
To move in a direction opposite to that of gravitation; to raise; to elevate; to bring up from a lower place to a higher; to upheave; sometimes implying a continued support or holding in the higher place; - said of material things; as, to lift the foot or the hand; to lift a chair or a burden.
Raise
Raise the level or amount of something;
Raise my salary
Raise the price of bread
Lift
To raise, elevate, exalt, improve, in rank, condition, estimation, character, etc.; - often with up.
The Roman virtues lift up mortal man.
Lest, being lifted up with pride.
Raise
Raise from a lower to a higher position;
Raise your hands
Lift a load
Lift
To bear; to support.
Raise
Cause to be heard or known; express or utter;
Raise a shout
Raise a protest
Raise a sad cry
Lift
To collect, as moneys due; to raise.
Raise
Collect funds for a specific purpose;
The President raised several million dollars for his college
Lift
To steal; to carry off by theft (esp. cattle); as, to lift a drove of cattle.
He ne'er lift up his hand but conquered.
Raise
Cultivate by growing, often involving improvements by means of agricultural techniques;
The Bordeaux region produces great red wines
They produce good ham in Parma
We grow wheat here
We raise hogs here
Lift
To try to raise something; to exert the strength for raising or bearing.
Strained by lifting at a weight too heavy.
Raise
Bring up;
Raise a family
Bring up children
Lift
To rise; to become or appear raised or elevated; as, the fog lifts; the land lifts to a ship approaching it.
Raise
Evoke or call forth, with or as if by magic;
Raise the specter of unemployment
He conjured wild birds in the air
Stir a disturbance
Call down the spirits from the mountain
Lift
To steal; also, to live by theft.
Raise
Move upwards;
Lift one's eyes
Lift
The act of giving temporary assistance
Raise
Construct, build, or erect;
Raise a barn
Lift
The component of the aerodynamic forces acting on an airfoil that opposes gravity
Raise
Call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses);
Arouse pity
Raise a smile
Evoke sympathy
Lift
The event of something being raised upward;
An elevation of the temperature in the afternoon
A raising of the land resulting from volcanic activity
Raise
Create a disturbance, especially by making a great noise;
Raise hell
Raise the roof
Raise Cain
Lift
A wave that lifts the surface of the water or ground
Raise
Raise in rank or condition;
The new law lifted many people from poverty
Lift
A powered conveyance that carries skiers up a hill
Raise
Increase;
This will enhance your enjoyment
Heighten the tension
Lift
A device worn in a shoe or boot to make the wearer look taller or to correct a shortened leg
Raise
Give a promotion to or assign to a higher position;
John was kicked upstairs when a replacement was hired
Women tend not to advance in the major law firms
I got promoted after many years of hard work
Lift
One of the layers forming the heel of a shoe or boot
Raise
Cause to puff up with a leaven;
Unleavened bread
Lift
Lifting device consisting of a platform or cage that is raised and lowered mechanically in a vertical shaft in order to move people from one floor to another in a building
Raise
In bridge: bid (one's partner's suit) at a higher level
Lift
Plastic surgery to remove wrinkles and other signs of aging from your face; an incision is made near the hair line and skin is pulled back and excess tissue is excised;
Some actresses have more than one face lift
Raise
Bet more than the previous player
Lift
Transportation of people or goods by air (especially when other means of access are unavailable)
Raise
Cause to assemble or enlist in the military;
Raise an army
Recruit new soldiers
Lift
A ride in a car;
He gave me a lift home
Raise
Put forward for consideration or discussion;
Raise the question of promotions
Bring up an unpleasant topic
Lift
The act of raising something;
He responded with a lift of his eyebrow
Fireman learn several different raises for getting ladders up
Raise
Pronounce (vowels) by bringing the tongue closer to the roof of the mouth;
Raise your `o'
Lift
Raise from a lower to a higher position;
Raise your hands
Lift a load
Raise
Activate or stir up;
Raise a mutiny
Lift
Take hold of something and move it to a different location;
Lift the box onto the table
Raise
Establish radio communications with;
They managed to raise Hanoi last night
Lift
Move upwards;
Lift one's eyes
Raise
Multiply (a number) by itself a specified number of times: 8 is 2 raised to the power 3
Lift
Move upward;
The fog lifted
The smoke arose from the forest fire
The mist uprose from the meadows
Raise
Bring (a surface, a design, etc.) into relief and cause to project;
Raised edges
Lift
Make audible;
He lifted a war whoop
Raise
Invigorate or heighten;
Lift my spirits
Lift his ego
Lift
Make off with belongings of others
Raise
Put an end to;
Lift a ban
Raise a siege
Lift
Raise or haul up with or as if with mechanical help;
Hoist the bicycle onto the roof of the car
Raise
Cause to become alive again;
Raise from the dead
Slavery is already dead, and cannot be resurrected
Upraising ghosts
Lift
Invigorate or heighten;
Lift my spirits
Lift his ego
Lift
Raise in rank or condition;
The new law lifted many people from poverty
Lift
Take off or away by decreasing;
Lift the pressure
Lift
Rise up;
The building rose before them
Lift
Pay off (a mortgage)
Lift
Take without referencing from someone else's writing or speech; of intellectual property
Lift
Take illegally;
Rustle cattle
Lift
Fly people or goods to or from places not accessible by other means;
Food is airlifted into Bosnia
Lift
Take (root crops) out of the ground;
Lift potatoes
Lift
Call to stop the hunt or to retire, as of hunting dogs
Lift
Rise upward, as from pressure or moisture;
The floor is lifting slowly
Lift
Put an end to;
Lift a ban
Raise a siege
Lift
Remove (hair) by scalping
Lift
Remove from a seedbed or from a nursery;
Lift the tulip bulbs
Lift
Remove from a surface;
The detective carefully lifted some fingerprints from the table
Lift
Perform cosmetic surgery on someone's face
Common Curiosities
Can both terms be used interchangeably?
While they are often used interchangeably, especially in casual speech, they have distinct nuances that might make one more appropriate than the other in certain contexts.
Is raising always about support from below?
In physical contexts, raising often involves support from below, but in abstract or quantitative contexts, it refers more broadly to increasing or elevating something.
What does it mean to raise in abstract terms?
Raising in abstract terms means to increase the level or intensity of something, like raising awareness or standards.
What is the difference between lift and raise?
Lift refers to elevating something directly, often without specific direction, while raise implies an elevation with support or increasing something in amount or degree.
How does lift work in non-physical contexts?
In non-physical contexts, lift refers to causing an improvement or elevation in mood, situation, or condition, such as lifting someone's spirits.
Can lift imply temporary elevation?
Yes, lifting something can imply temporary elevation, where the object is not necessarily supported in its new position once the force is removed.
How do machinery or technology use these terms?
Machinery or technology might use lift to describe direct elevation (like an elevator lifting people) and raise for situations where something is elevated and supported from below (like raising a platform).
Does raising imply a maintained new position?
Generally, raising something implies that its new, elevated position is maintained or supported, especially in physical contexts.
How do lift and raise apply in improving conditions or standards?
Lift is used metaphorically to describe the act of improving conditions or moods, while raise is used to denote increasing levels or standards in various contexts.
Are there exceptions to the general uses of lift and raise?
Yes, in casual or colloquial language, the distinction can blur, and usage may depend on regional or personal preference, though technical contexts often retain the specific nuances.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat
