Meaning & use
levitating
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“levitating” is a form of “levitate”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbintransitive
Rising and floating in the air with nothing seeming to hold the body or object up.
Grammar: No object follows it: the ball is levitating. It is the -ing form of levitate.
Patterns
- levitating above something
- levitating in mid-air
The magician appeared to be levitating a few inches above the stage.
In the film, the child was levitating over her bed.
A small magnet was levitating above the cold metal disc.
verbtransitive
Making something rise and hover in the air, as a magician or a scientific device might.
Grammar: Takes an object: the machine is levitating the train.
Patterns
- levitating something above something
The engineers are levitating the train with powerful magnets.
The street performer seemed to be levitating his assistant using only a cloth.
Common combinations
- levitating above the ground
- The monk was said to be levitating above the ground while he prayed.
- levitating train
- The levitating train glides along without touching the track.
- levitating in mid-air
- The glowing ball stayed levitating in mid-air for a few seconds.
- appear to be levitating
- The performer appears to be levitating, but it is a clever trick.
- levitating object
- A levitating object needs a steady force pushing against gravity.
Synonyms and how they differ
- floating
- Floating is wider and can happen on water or in air, while levitating suggests rising against gravity with no visible support.
- hovering
- Hovering means staying in one place in the air, often like a bird or a helicopter, and does not suggest anything strange or magical.
- suspended
- Suspended means held up, often by a rope or a force, and does not suggest the object is rising by itself.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: levitating or elevating?
levitating vs elevating
Elevating means lifting something to a higher position, often by effort or a machine, while levitating means floating with no obvious support.
Practice
Which sentence uses levitating correctly?
Choose one answer.
Levitating means making something float against gravity, which a magnet can do. Walking up a hill or building a nest is ordinary movement, not levitation.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “levitating”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.