soar

American  

[sawr, sohr] / sɔr, soʊr /

verb (used without object)

1. to fly upward, as a bird.

2. to fly at a great height, without visible movements of the pinions, as a bird.

3. to glide along at a height, as an airplane.

4. to rise or ascend to a height, as a mountain.

   Synonyms:

   mount, tower

5. to rise or aspire to a higher or more exalted level.

   His hopes soared.

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noun

1. an act or instance of soaring.

2. the height attained in soaring.

soar British  

/ sɔː /

verb

1. to rise or fly upwards into the air

2. (of a bird, aircraft, etc) to glide while maintaining altitude by the use of ascending air currents

3. to rise or increase in volume, size, etc

   soaring prices

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noun

1. the act of soaring

2. the altitude attained by soaring

Related Words

See fly ².

Other Word Forms

• soarer noun
• soaring noun
• soaringly adverb

Etymology

Origin of soar

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English soren, from Middle French essorer, from unattested Vulgar Latin exaurāre, equivalent to Latin ex- ex- ¹ + aur(a) “air” + -āre infinitive suffix

Explanation

To soar means more than just to fly; it means to rise swiftly, to feel the wind slipping below you as you ride it higher, higher, higher. Flying is just moving through the air. Soaring, though, suggests exhilaration, even joy. Think about the anticipation you feel when you buy a lottery ticket — your hopes soar as you contemplate the possibilities. It's the same wonderful feeling you get when someone you have a crush on notices you, when you land that perfect job, when you hold your child. The word soar comes from the Latin, ex-, which means "out," and aura, meaning "breeze, air," together meaning "out of the air," which is precisely how it feels to soar.

Example Sentences

Eli Lilly’s GLP-1 franchise brought in a total of $12.9 billion in sales in the first quarter as demand continued to soar for the drugs commonly used for weight loss.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026

The truth is that besides launching majestic fly balls that soar into the deepest regions of the outfield stands, Murakami doesn’t do much else.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026

Now each will have motivation through the last month of the track season pushing each other to practice harder and soar higher.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 27, 2026

Spirit Airlines, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last August, saw its shares soar 257% to $2.14 on the news.

From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026

How will I ever soar with the eagles if I’m surrounded by turkeys?

From "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King

Related Words

• ascend
• escalate
• lift
• mount
• rise
• rocket
• sail
• shoot
• shoot up
• skyrocket
• top