rally

[ ral-ee ]

/ ˈræl i /

verb (used with object), ral·lied, ral·ly·ing.

to bring into order again; gather and organize or inspire anew: The general rallied his scattered army.

to draw or call (persons) together for a common action or effort: He rallied his friends to help him.

to concentrate or revive, as one's strength, spirits, etc.: They rallied their energies for the counterattack.

verb (used without object), ral·lied, ral·ly·ing.

to come together for common action or effort: The disunited party rallied in time for the election campaign.

to come together or into order again: The captain ordered his small force to rally at the next stream.

to come to the assistance of a person, party, or cause (often followed by to or around): to rally around a political candidate.

to recover partially from illness: He spent a bad night but began to rally by morning.

to find renewed strength or vigor: The runner seemed to be rallying for a final sprint.

Finance.

(of securities) to rise sharply in price after a drop.
(of the persons forming a stock market) to begin to trade with increased activity after a slow period.

(in tennis, badminton, etc.) to engage in a rally.

to participate in a long-distance automobile race.

Baseball. (of a team) to score one or more runs in one inning.

noun, plural ral·lies.

a recovery from dispersion or disorder, as of troops.

a renewal or recovery of strength, activity, etc.

a partial recovery of strength during illness.

a drawing or coming together of persons, as for common action, as in a mass meeting: A political rally that brought together hundreds of the faithful.

a get-together of hobbyists or other like-minded enthusiasts, primarily to meet and socialize.

Finance. a sharp rise in price or active trading after a declining market.

(in tennis, badminton, etc.)

an exchange of strokes between players before a point is scored.
the hitting of the ball back and forth prior to the start of a match.

Boxing. an exchange of blows.

Baseball. the scoring of one or more runs in one inning.

British Theater. a quickening of pace for heightening the dramatic effect in a scene or act.

Shipbuilding. a series of blows with battering rams, made in order to drive wedges under a hull to raise it prior to launching.

Also ral·lye. a long-distance automobile race, especially for sports cars, held over public roads unfamiliar to the drivers, with numerous checkpoints along the route.

Nearby words

ralik chain, rall., rallentando, ralliform, ralline, rally, rally around, rally round, rallycross, rallye, rallying

Origin of rally

1585–95; < French rallier (v.), Old French, equivalent to r(e)- re- + allier to join; see ally

SYNONYMS FOR rally

2, 4 muster.

3 reanimate, reinvigorate.

4 assemble.

5 reassemble.

Related formsral·li·er, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for rally around (1 of 2)

rally

/ (ˈrælɪ) /

verb -lies, -lying or -lied

to bring (a group, unit, etc) into order, as after dispersal, or (of such a group) to reform and come to orderthe troops rallied for a final assault

(when intr , foll by to) to organize (supporters, etc) for a common cause or (of such people) to come together for a purpose

to summon up (one's strength, spirits, etc) or (of a person's health, strength, or spirits) to revive or recover

(intr) stock exchange to increase sharply after a declinesteels rallied after a bad day

(intr) tennis squash badminton to engage in a rally

noun plural -lies

a large gathering of people for a common purpose, esp for some political causethe Nuremberg Rallies

a marked recovery of strength or spirits, as during illness

a return to order after dispersal or rout, as of troops, etc

stock exchange a sharp increase in price or trading activity after a decline

tennis squash badminton an exchange of several shots before one player wins the point

a type of motoring competition over public and closed roads

Derived Formsrallier, noun

Word Origin for rally

C16: from Old French rallier, from re- + alier to unite; see ally

British Dictionary definitions for rally around (2 of 2)

rally

/ (ˈrælɪ) /

verb -lies, -lying or -lied

to mock or ridicule (someone) in a good-natured way; chaff; tease

Word Origin for rally

C17: from Old French railler to tease; see rail ²

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for rally around (1 of 3)

rally

v.1

"bring together," c.1600, from French rallier, from Old French ralier "reassemble, unite again," from re- "again" (see re-) + alier "unite" (see ally (v.)). Intransitive meaning "pull together hastily, recover order, revive, rouse" is from 1660s. Related: Rallied; rallying. Rally round the flag (1862) is a line from popular American Civil War song "Battle Cry of Freedom."

Word Origin and History for rally around (1 of 3)

rally

v.2

"make fun of, tease," 1660s, from French railler "to rail, reproach" (see rail (v.)).

Word Origin and History for rally around (2 of 3)

rally

1650s, originally in the military sense of "a regrouping for renewed action after a repulse," from rally (v.1). Sense of "mass meeting to stir enthusiasm" first attested 1840, American English. Sense of "gathering of automobile enthusiasts" is from 1932, from French rallye, itself from the English noun. Sports sense of "long series of hits" in tennis, etc., is from 1881, earlier "series of back-and-forth blows in a boxing match" (1829).

Idioms and Phrases with rally around

rally around

Join in a common effort, as in When Mom broke her leg the entire family rallied around to help. This idiom gained currency with George F. Root's famous Civil War song, “The Battle Cry of Freedom,” which urges troops to rally round the flag that goes with them into battle. [Early 1800s]

rally

verb (used with object), ral·lied, ral·ly·ing.

verb (used without object), ral·lied, ral·ly·ing.

noun, plural ral·lies.

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Nearby words

Origin of rally

British Dictionary definitions for rally around (1 of 2)

rally

verb -lies, -lying or -lied

noun plural -lies

Word Origin for rally

British Dictionary definitions for rally around (2 of 2)

rally

verb -lies, -lying or -lied

Word Origin for rally

Word Origin and History for rally around (1 of 3)

rally

Word Origin and History for rally around (1 of 3)

rally

Word Origin and History for rally around (2 of 3)

rally

Idioms and Phrases with rally around

rally around