rehearse
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to practice (a musical composition, a play, a speech, etc.) in private prior to a public presentation.
-
to drill or train (an actor, musician, etc.) by rehearsal, as for some performance or part.
-
to relate the facts or particulars of; recount.
- Synonyms:
- recapitulate, narrate, portray, describe, delineate
verb (used without object)
verb
-
to practise (a play, concert, etc), in preparation for public performance
-
(tr) to run through; recount; recite
the official rehearsed the grievances of the committee
-
(tr) to train or drill (a person or animal) for the public performance of a part in a play, show, etc
Synonym Usage
See relate.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
rehearsernoun
-
rehearsableadjective
-
unrehearsableadjective
-
unrehearsedadjective
-
unrehearsingadjective
-
well-rehearsedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
rehearsesimple
-
rehearsessimple
-
have rehearsedperfect
-
has rehearsedperfect
-
am rehearsingprogressive
-
are rehearsingprogressive
-
is rehearsingprogressive
-
have been rehearsingperfect progressive
-
has been rehearsingperfect progressive
Past
-
rehearsedsimple
-
had rehearsedperfect
-
was rehearsingprogressive
-
were rehearsingprogressive
-
had been rehearsingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of rehearse
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English rehersen, rehercen, from Middle French rehercier “to repeat,” equivalent to re- “again, over and over” + hercier “to strike, harrow” (derivative of herce, herse “a harrow”); see re-, hearse
Explanation
When you rehearse, you practice something. You and your cast mates will need to rehearse for several weeks before you'll be ready to perform the entire two hours and forty-five minutes of the musical "Hamilton." A new teacher might rehearse before his first day teaching math to ninth graders, and you'll want to rehearse before you sing the national anthem on the field before a baseball game begins. If you're nervous about something, like asking someone to the prom, you might rehearse it in your mind. At the root of rehearse is the Old French word rehercier, which means both "go over again," and "rake and turn over the soil."
Vocabulary lists containing rehearse
Speaking and Listening - Introductory
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Speaking and Listening - Middle School
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
At one of Snabbit's training hubs in the southern tech hub of Bengaluru, workers rehearse tasks such as chopping vegetables against the clock.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
Kwan said she would attend presentations with her sales team and rehearse what she saw in the mirror “over and over and over again” until it became second nature.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 23, 2026
Frontier labs already maintain internal safety processes, rehearse responses to cyberattacks, and publish manuals for their systems.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 18, 2026
Unfortunately, that means the only place Bruccoleri can rehearse is in a tent on the front lawn.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 30, 2026
Next they test the stability of the stairs under pressure, and rehearse running up and down them.
From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung
It rehearses in the school hall and involves students in its productions and performances.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2023
Channeling that energy, he rehearses his fact-heavy, feelings-scant eulogy.
From Salon ● May 22, 2023
So he often rehearses several times before delivering a major address.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 20, 2023
The school has 320 members, and rehearses in the the lower middle-class neighborhood of Madureira in Rio’s north zone, along with some of the city’s most prestigious samba schools, including Portela and Império Serrano.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 15, 2023
Orson Welles rehearses The Campbell Playhouse in this 1938 CBS publicity composite.
From "Spooked!" by Gail Jarrow
The scrupulously staged and rehearsed repertory at the Joyce, with Elisa Clark assisting as rehearsal director, holds bright promise for future retrospective efforts mining the Mark Morris Dance Group’s rich repertory.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
But while analysts argue that Love Island is far from a perfect mirror of society, it nonetheless operates as a cultural stage where shifting gender norms and emerging challenges are publicly rehearsed.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
Before the main drop for premium screenings last week, he rehearsed the steps it would take to improve his chances of snagging them online.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
But Allison and I rehearsed it like a play, and we would just run lines like little theater nerds.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2026
For ten miles Mother rehearsed with me what I was to say if the worst happened and the Feds came.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
One performer described the worst possible outcome: working all week, staying up all night, writing sketches, rehearsing constantly, and then discovering on Saturday night that you don’t even need hair and makeup.
From Salon ● Jul. 5, 2026
On the square, which is blocked off by metal barriers, soldiers are rehearsing for the annual Victory Day parade that marks the defeat of Nazi Germany.
From BBC ● May 7, 2026
The iconic singer resided in the property while he was rehearsing for his “This Is It” tour, which he was due to embark upon in July 2009.
From MarketWatch ● May 5, 2026
After rehearsing again and again, UConn’s players come to understand that Hurley’s sheet amounted to college basketball’s ultimate cheat code.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 3, 2026
My butterflies have been flapping about all day in anticipation of seeing him, like they’ve been rehearsing for a performance of The Nutcracker.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
