a verb for lifting up a person

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Tarheel

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The word "lift" is the only one I know. (There's not likely to be a lot of movement.)
 

emsr2d2

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He doesn't lift her and move her into the air. He simply lifts her (or, I suppose, lifts her into the air). Depending on where she ends up, he could lift her above his head.

In the photo, he's picking her up [in his arms].
 

Tarheel

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"He" might lift "her" above his head (in something like pairs skating). (The lifts never last long.)
 

alpacinou

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He doesn't lift her and move her into the air. He simply lifts her (or, I suppose, lifts her into the air). Depending on where she ends up, he could lift her above his head.

In the photo, he's picking her up [in his arms].

Is this a possible way of describing it?

He gently picked her up in his arms and then started slowly twirling.

Irrespective of the photo, I want to also describe the movement. I see it a lot in movies when a man picks up a woman into his arms and they move in a dance and the girl laughs out loud, annoyingly I might add!
 

Tarheel

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It wouldn't work in a room of that size. They would crash into something. However, it might be okay on a dance floor.
 

alpacinou

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How can I make sure the person who reads it can imagine something like that photo?

I also want to say something about her hanging in the air and enjoying it.

He gently picked her up in his arms and then started slowly twirling. She enjoyed hanging in the air more that she expected.
 

tedmc

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How did she end up hanging in the air?
 

Tarheel

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How about this?

He picked her up in his arms then turned and crashed into a wall. They fell and hit the floor hard.
:lol:

Most places you wouldn't have room to do the kind of stuff you suggested. (Maybe outside.)

They can do stuff in the movies that we can't normally do in real life.

I agree with Ted about her hanging in the air. (He's holding her in his arms. She isn't hanging from anything.)
 

alpacinou

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You are right "hang" is not the right verb. Maybe I can say she twirls in a air.
 

Tarheel

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I had to take another look at that photo just to be sure. No. No twirling. They're an affectionate couple, and he's holding her in his arms. That's all we know for sure.
 

Charlie Bernstein

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Lift and move are two separate actions that need two separate verbs.
 

Tarheel

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I assume you want him to be affectionate (not the sentence). Maybe he could tenderly kiss her as he holds her in his arms. (That would be safer for both of them.)
 
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