What does "harvest" mean?
The process of gathering the ripened crop; harvesting.
Harvest
/ˈhɑɹ.vəst/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The process of gathering the ripened crop; harvesting.
- Grammar: harvest is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: crop, accumulate, acquire, aftermath.
- Useful contrasts: outdoor sowing, bean seed, crop planting.
- Usage evidence: Some day you will have to reap the harvest of your own sowing.
How to use "harvest"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "harvest" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "harvest" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "harvest" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "harvest" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "harvest" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "crop" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "harvest", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The process of gathering the ripened crop; harvesting. countable, uncountable
"The constant rain made the harvest a nightmare this year."
- 2 the season for gathering crops wordnet
- 3 The yield of harvesting, i.e., the gathered crops or fruits. countable, uncountable
"This year's cotton harvest was great but the corn harvest was disastrous."
- 4 the gathering of a ripened crop wordnet
- 5 The product or result of any exertion or course of action; reward or consequences. broadly, countable, uncountable
"The surveillance mission yielded a healthy harvest of intel."
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 the consequence of an effort or activity wordnet
- 7 The season of gathering ripened crops; specifically, the time of reaping and gathering grain. countable, uncountable
- 8 the yield from plants in a single growing season wordnet
- 9 The third season of the year; autumn; fall. UK, countable, dialectal, uncountable
"Harvest is usually very damp and rainy."
- 10 A modern pagan ceremony held on or around the autumn equinox, which is in the harvesting season. countable, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To bring in a harvest; reap; glean. transitive
"We harvested the apples in September already."
- 2 remove from a culture or a living or dead body, as for the purposes of transplantation wordnet
- 3 To take a living organism as part of a managed process to gather food or resources, often with the intention of maintaining a healthy population. transitive
"An efficient rifle or shotgun can harvest a deer for venison."
- 4 gather, as of natural products wordnet
- 5 To be occupied bringing in a harvest. intransitive
"We're going to harvest day and night, because the weather is about to turn sour."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 To win, achieve a gain. transitive
"The rising star harvested well-deserved acclaim, even an Oscar under 21."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
outdoor sowingbean seedcrop plantingcrop replanting
Example
"Some day you will have to reap the harvest of your own sowing."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "harvest"?
Common synonyms include: crop, accumulate, acquire, aftermath, agricultural output, agricultural produce.
How do you use "harvest" in a sentence?
Some day you will have to reap the harvest of your own sowing.
How do you pronounce "harvest"?
Pronounced /ˈhɑɹ.vəst/.
Etymology
From Middle English harvest, hervest, from Old English hærfest (“autumn, harvest-time; August”), from Proto-West Germanic *harbist, from Proto-Germanic *harbistaz (“harvest-time, autumn, fall”), from *harbaz, from Proto-Indo-European *kerp-. Cognates Cognate with Sylt North Frisian Hārefst, West Frisian hjerst, Dutch herfst, German Herbst, dated German Low German Harvst, Danish and Norwegian Bokmål høst, Norwegian Nynorsk haust; further with Latin carpere (“to seize”), Ancient Greek καρπός (karpós, “fruit”), κείρω (keírō, “to cut off”).