What does "deliver" mean?

1. (to transport goods) to take letters, parcels, or goods to a person or a place. 2. (to produce results) to do what you promised or what people expect you to do. 3. (to give a speech) to give a speech, a talk, or a formal statement in front of people. 4. (childbirth) to help a woman give birth to a baby. 5. (to rescue) to save someone from something bad or dangerous. 6. (to throw or strike) to throw a ball or hit someone with a punch.

deliver

US //dɪˈɫɪvɝ// UK //dɪlˈɪvɐ// de·liv·er

1 to transport goods (v.)
A2 Elementary

to take letters, parcels, or goods to a person or a place.

to transport and hand over letters, packages, or goods to the intended recipient.

Example

The supermarket will deliver our groceries tomorrow morning between nine and ten.

Example

The courier service failed to deliver the legal documents on time, resulting in a significant delay for the court proceedings.
- bring
- transport
- drop off
- collect
- pick up
2 to produce results (v.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Informal

to do what you promised or what people expect you to do.

to provide or produce what is promised, expected, or required. Often used intransitively in business contexts.

Example

The new manager promised to increase sales, and she really delivered.

Example

Despite the initial hype, the software update failed to deliver the performance improvements that the developers had advertised.
- fail

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3 to give a speech (v.)
B1 Intermediate Formal

to give a speech, a talk, or a formal statement in front of people.

to utter or give forth in words; to present a formal speech or lecture to an audience.

Example

The president will deliver a speech on television tonight.

Example

The keynote speaker delivered a powerful presentation that challenged the audience to rethink their approach to environmental sustainability.
4 childbirth (v.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Medicine

to help a woman give birth to a baby.

to assist a woman in the process of giving birth; also used to describe the act of the mother giving birth.

Example

The doctor delivered the twins safely in the middle of the night.

Example

The medical team was prepared for complications, but the midwife delivered the infant without any need for surgical intervention.
- birth
5 to rescue (v.)
C1 Advanced Literary Formal

to save someone from something bad or dangerous.

to set free from restraint, danger, or evil.

Example

They prayed that they would be delivered from their troubles.

Example

The ancient text tells the story of a hero who delivered his people from centuries of oppressive rule.
- trap
- enslave
6 to throw or strike (v.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Sport

to throw a ball or hit someone with a punch.

to send forth or discharge a blow, a ball, or a shot.

Example

The pitcher delivered a fast ball that the batter couldn't hit.

Example

The boxer delivered a sharp blow to his opponent's ribs, ending the round with a clear advantage.

Origin

From Middle English deliveren, from Anglo-Norman and Old French delivrer, from Latin dē + līberō (“to set free”). Compare typologically dispatch, analyzable as dis- + impeach, from Latin impedicō (also akin to impede).

Word family

Verbdeliver
Noundeliverance
Noundelivery

Idioms3 entries