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Synonyms

rehearse

American

[ri-hurs] / rɪˈhɜrs /

verb (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)

to rehearse a play, part, etc.; participate in a rehearsal.

rehearse British

/ rɪˈhɜːs /

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

"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

Synonym Usage

See relate.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

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."

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Vocabulary lists containing rehearse

Speaking and Listening - Introductory

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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.

It’s like watching stage actors rehearse the same lines they recite every night.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026

The students rehearse their choreography before a mirror even before class starts, and many of them use rest breaks to ask friends for help to correct their steps.

From Barron's • May 5, 2026

Controllers will also rehearse parts of the countdown, sending commands through the same computers and networks that will be used on launch day, but without filling the tanks with fuel.

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026

I won’t rehearse the arguments made here three months ago and alluded to again last week.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

"Upper-division drama is second period, every day, and we rehearse after school three days a week. Monday, Wednesday, Friday."

From "You Bring the Distant Near" by Mitali Perkins

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023