levitate

verb

lev·​i·​tate ˈle-və-ˌtāt How to pronounce levitate (audio)
levitated; levitating

intransitive verb

: to rise or float in or as if in the air especially in seeming defiance of gravitation

transitive verb

: to cause to levitate

Examples of levitate in a Sentence

The woman levitated above the stage. The magician claimed he could levitate a car.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Simon Townsley—Panos Pictures Brazil’s Gabriel Medina appears to levitate during the men’s surfing competition in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, held in Teahupo’o, on the French Polynesian island of Tahiti, on July 29. Time Photo Department, TIME, 26 Nov. 2024 For thousands of years mothers have been devastatingly waking their tiny babies, trying to levitate them out of their car seats and into their strollers until some genius finally invented the Doona: a car seat slash stroller in one. Hayley Bloomingdale, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2024 The next big thing could come courtesy of China: magnetically levitating trains capable of running at almost 400 mph. 2️⃣ Toxic warning: Black-colored plastic used in toys, food containers and kitchen utensils may contain alarming levels of a dangerous flame retardant, according to a new study. Daniel Wine, CNN, 1 Oct. 2024 The Transfiguration gives us an almost Abstract Expressionist all-over space, with six standing figures who seem to levitate into the realms of the infinite. Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 18 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for levitate 

Word History

Etymology

probably by back-formation from levitation, by analogy with gravitate : gravitation

First Known Use

1673, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of levitate was in 1673

Dictionary Entries Near levitate

Cite this Entry

“Levitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/levitate. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

levitate

verb
lev·​i·​tate ˈlev-ə-ˌtāt How to pronounce levitate (audio)
: to rise or cause to rise in the air in seeming defiance of gravity
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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