Standard Lemma guide

levitate

verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈlɛvɪteɪt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: L EH1 V IH0 T EY2 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To cause to rise in the air and float, as if in defiance of gravity.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • The magician levitated the woman.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To be suspended in the air, as if in defiance of gravity.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • The guru claimed that he could levitate.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

be suspended in the air, as if in defiance of gravity

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The guru claimed that he could levitate

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: hover

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

cause to rise in the air and float, as if in defiance of gravity

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The magician levitated the woman

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: raise, lift, elevate, get up, bring up

History

Etymology

First attested in 1673; borrowed from New Latin levitātus, perfect passive participle of levitō (“to levitate; to have one's motion directed upward, as opposed to the downward motion induced by gravity”) (first attested c. 1670), modeled on gravitō (“to gravitate”) (← Latin gravis (“heavy”)), from levis (“light”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix).

Across languages

Translations

25 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: вдигам във въздуха (vdigam vǎv vǎzduha) — to cause to rise in the air and float
  • Czech: levitovat — to cause to rise in the air and float
  • Czech: vznášet — to cause to rise in the air and float
  • Finnish: leijuttaa — to cause to rise in the air and float
  • Finnish: saada levitoimaan — to cause to rise in the air and float
  • German: schweben lassen — to cause to rise in the air and float
  • German: levitieren — to cause to rise in the air and float
  • Latin: levationem ago — to cause to rise in the air and float
  • Portuguese: levitar — to cause to rise in the air and float
  • Catalan: levitar — to be suspend in the air
  • Czech: vznášet se — to be suspend in the air
  • Czech: levitovat — to be suspend in the air
  • Esperanto: levitacii — to be suspend in the air
  • Finnish: leijua — to be suspend in the air
  • Finnish: levitoida — to be suspend in the air
  • German: schweben — to be suspend in the air
  • Hebrew: רִחֵף (riẖéf) — to be suspend in the air
  • Polish: lewitować — to be suspend in the air
  • Portuguese: levitar — to be suspend in the air
  • Serbo-Croatian: лѐбдјети — to be suspend in the air
  • Serbo-Croatian: левитирати — to be suspend in the air
  • Serbo-Croatian: lèbdjeti — to be suspend in the air
  • Spanish: levitar — to be suspend in the air
  • Swedish: levitera — to be suspend in the air
  • Thai: ลอยตัว (lɔɔi-dtuua) — to be suspend in the air