rise
Americanverb (used without object)
-
rises,
present (3rd person singular)
-
rose,
past
-
risen,
past participle
-
rising
present participle
-
to get up from a lying, sitting, or kneeling posture; assume an upright position.
She rose and walked over to greet me. With great effort he rose to his knees.
- Antonyms:
- sink
-
to get up from bed, especially to begin the day after a night's sleep.
to rise early.
-
to become erect and stiff, as the hair in fright.
-
to get up after falling or being thrown down.
- Antonyms:
- fall
-
to become active in opposition or resistance; revolt or rebel.
-
to be built up, erected, or constructed.
-
to spring up or grow, as plants.
Weeds rose overnight.
-
to become prominent on or project from a surface, as a blister.
-
to come into existence; appear.
-
to come into action, as a wind or storm.
-
to occur.
A quarrel rose between them.
-
to originate, issue, or be derived; to have a source.
-
to move from a lower to a higher position; move upward; ascend.
The bird rose in the air.
- Synonyms:
- mount
- Antonyms:
- descend
-
to ascend above the horizon, as a heavenly body.
-
to extend directly upward; project vertically.
The tower rises to a height of 60 feet. The building rises above the city's other skyscrapers.
-
to have an upward slant or curve.
The path rises as it approaches the woods.
-
to attain higher rank, status, or importance or a higher economic level.
to rise in the world.
- Antonyms:
- fail
-
to advance to a higher level of action, thought, feeling, etc..
to rise above the commonplace.
-
Angling. (of fish) to come up toward the surface of the water in pursuit of food or bait.
-
to prove oneself equal to a demand, emergency, etc. (followed byto ).
to rise to the occasion; to rise to one's responsibilities.
-
to become animated, cheerful, or heartened, as the spirits.
-
to become roused or stirred.
to feel one's temper rising.
-
to increase in height, as the level of water.
The river rose thirty feet in eight hours.
-
to swell or puff up, as dough from the action of yeast.
-
to increase in amount, as prices.
-
to increase in price or value, as commodities.
-
to increase in degree, intensity, or force, as fever, color, etc.
-
to become louder or of higher pitch, as the voice.
-
to adjourn or close a session, as a deliberative body or court.
-
to return from the dead.
Christ rose from the dead and on the third day ascended into heaven.
verb (used with object)
-
rises,
present (3rd person singular)
-
rose,
past
-
risen,
past participle
-
rising
present participle
-
Nonstandard. to cause to rise.
-
Nautical. to cause (something) to rise above the visible horizon by approaching nearer to it; raise.
noun
-
rises
plural
-
an act or instance of rising.
-
appearance above the horizon, as of the sun or moon.
-
elevation or increase in rank, fortune, influence, power, etc..
the rise and fall of ancient Rome.
-
an increase in height, as of the level of water.
-
the amount of such increase.
-
an increase in amount, as of prices.
-
an increase in price or value, as of commodities.
-
Chiefly British. raise.
-
an increase in degree or intensity, as of temperature.
-
an increase in loudness or in pitch, as of the voice.
-
Architecture, Building Trades.
-
the measured height of any of various things, as a roof, a flight of steps, a stair step, or the crown of a road.
-
the measured height of an arch from the springing line to the highest point of the intrados.
-
-
the vertical distance through which the floor of an elevator or the like passes.
-
origin, source, or beginning.
the rise of a stream in a mountain.
-
a coming into existence or notice.
the rise of a new talent.
-
extension upward.
-
the amount of such extension.
-
upward slope, as of ground or a road.
-
a piece of rising or high ground.
a house built upon a gentle rise.
-
the distance between the crotch and the waist of a pair of trousers.
Pants with a high rise are now in style.
-
Angling. the coming up of a fish toward the surface in pursuit of food or bait.
verb phrase
verb
-
to get up from a lying, sitting, kneeling, or prone position
-
to get out of bed, esp to begin one's day
he always rises early
-
to move from a lower to a higher position or place; ascend
-
to ascend or appear above the horizon
the sun is rising
-
to increase in height or level
the water rose above the normal level
-
to attain higher rank, status, or reputation
he will rise in the world
-
to be built or erected
those blocks of flats are rising fast
-
to become apparent; appear
new troubles rose to afflict her
-
to increase in strength, degree, intensity, etc
her spirits rose
the wind is rising
-
to increase in amount or value
house prices are always rising
-
to swell up
dough rises
-
to become erect, stiff, or rigid
the hairs on his neck rose in fear
-
(of one's stomach or gorge) to manifest or feel nausea; retch
-
to become actively rebellious; revolt
the people rose against their oppressors
-
to slope upwards
the ground rises beyond the lake
-
to return from the dead; be resurrected
-
to originate; come into existence
that river rises in the mountains
-
(of a session of a court, legislative assembly, etc) to come to an end; adjourn
-
angling (of fish) to come to the surface of the water, as when taking flies
-
(tr) nautical another term for raise
-
informal (often foll by to) to respond (to teasing, etc) or fall into a trap prepared for one
noun
-
the act or an instance of rising; ascent
-
an increase in height; elevation
-
an increase in rank, status, or position
-
an increase in amount, cost, or value
-
an increase in degree or intensity
-
US and Canadian word: raise. an increase in salary or wages
-
a piece of rising ground
-
an upward slope or incline
-
the appearance of the sun, moon, or other celestial body above the horizon
-
the vertical height of a step or of a flight of stairs
-
the vertical height of a roof above the walls or columns
-
the height of an arch above the impost level
-
angling the act or instance of fish coming to the surface of the water to take flies, etc
-
the beginning, origin, or source; derivation
-
slang an erection of the penis
-
to provoke an angry or petulant reaction from
-
to cause the development of; produce
Usage
What is a basic definition of rise? Rise means to get up from a low position or to increase. As a noun, rise means an elevation from a starting point. The word rise has many other senses as a verb and a noun. In nearly every sense, the word rise refers to something going up or going upward, either literally or figuratively. When something or someone rises, it is going from a seated or prone position to an upright, erect position. If a cat rises from the floor, for example, it moves from sitting or laying down on the floor to standing.
- Real-life examples: At sporting events, people rise out of their chairs during the national anthem. A person rises after doing push-ups or sit-ups. When zombies rise from the dead, they are standing up from a lying position in the dirt or a coffin.
- Used in a sentence: Jessica quickly rose to her feet after her mom caught her lazing on the couch.
- Real-life examples: The temperature rises when it is hot outside. News ratings tend to rise during elections, scandals, or natural disasters. Your cost of living will probably rise dramatically if you decide to move to New York City.
- Used in a sentence: The cost of my electric bill keeps rising no matter how little power I use.
- Real-life examples: Asia was changed forever by the rise of the Mongol Empire during the 12th and 13th centuries. The rise of rock and roll music occurred during the 1950s. The rise of the Nazis in the 1930s changed world history.
- Used in a sentence: In my opinion, music got a lot more interesting after the rise of hip-hop.
Commonly Confused
See raise.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
risesimple
-
risessimple
-
have risenperfect
-
has risenperfect
-
am risingprogressive
-
are risingprogressive
-
is risingprogressive
-
have been risingperfect progressive
-
has been risingperfect progressive
Past
-
rosesimple
-
had risenperfect
-
was risingprogressive
-
were risingprogressive
-
had been risingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of rise
First recorded before 1000; Middle English risen (verb), Old English rīsan; cognate with Dutch rijzen, Old High German rīsan, Gothic reisan; akin to raise, rear 2
Explanation
Rise almost always has to do with something that’s becoming taller or higher, like when you rise from your chair or your grades that rise when you study harder. As a verb, rise can mean anything from "get up" to "increase" to "rebel" to "return from the dead." As a noun, it can be an upward movement, a little hill, a wage increase, a price hike, or even the length from the waistband to the center seam on a pair of jeans — with a low rise, those fashionable jeans don't cover much of your mid-section, which is why denim shopping with Mom can make anger rise in both of you!
Vocabulary lists containing rise
Functions - Middle School
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!
List 3
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!
"Talkin' 'bout a Revolution"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Consumers watched the prices of goods like bananas rise after the onset of reciprocal tariffs, Mahoney noted, and fall only slightly after those tariffs were rescinded.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
One possibility involves the body's mechanisms for regulating vitamin D. When concentrations of vitamin D metabolites rise, the body may accelerate the breakdown and removal of these compounds to keep levels under control.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2026
Her family's support was vital in the early years, but her rise to national recognition came after she joined the Railways - a transition facilitated by Diana Edulji - and moved to Mumbai.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
Utilities have traditionally appealed to investors because of their dividend payouts, but those payments can look less attractive compared to bonds when interest rates rise, said Sosnick.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026
He tried to say something, struggled to rise, then fell back with a groan.
From "Rowan of Rin" by Emily Rodda
You could say Yamamoto rises to the October occasion, but Mookie Betts would not say that, if only because Yamamoto rises to the occasion on just about every occasion.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
Constellation Brands signals weak demand for two flagship beer brands, while Intel rises after Elon Musk downplays TSMC’s role in Terafab.
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
The i says a "blunder over funding teacher pay rises" means school budgets are "set for squeeze".
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
The benchmark Dutch TTF contract rises 3.4% to 76 euros a megawatt-hour.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
Bile rises in the back of my throat.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
MarketWatch looked at isolating just the days when oil prices rose a lot to see its effect on stocks.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
Eurozone government bond yields rose in tandem with Treasury yields, with pressure remaining particularly strong on French bonds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
Using FactSet data, there were 42 days when Brent crude prices rose at least 3% in a single session this year.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
The 10-year French OAT yield was up 5.4 basis points at 4.906%, while the 10-year German Bund yield rose 1.3 basis points to 3.500%, according to Tradeweb.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
Middle-night passed, the dying moon rose, and still the clan meet went on.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
The average price of an adult replica Premier League shirt has risen by 50.7% over the past decade, helping fuel demand for counterfeits sold for as little as £12.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
That, combined with seas that have already risen over the past century due to human-caused climate change, puts California’s treasured coast in the oceanic crosshairs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
While crude oil volumes from the Middle East have recently risen, the production and export of refined products in the region remain heavily disrupted.
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
Shares of Micron have risen 266% so far this year, but the price-to-earnings multiple has actually come down since the end of 2025 as expectations for earnings growth have outpaced the stock rally.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026
The campers spoke with reverence about the son of Jupiter who’d risen from the lowly ranks of the Fifth Cohort to become praetor, led them to victory in the Battle of Mount Tam, then disappeared.
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
At the same time, France’s debt is also rising, having hit €3.5 trillion, or $3.92 trillion.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
Four years ago, in the run-up to the last midterm elections, prices were rising more than twice as quickly as they are now.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
Genetic diseases and cancers have been rising in the region for years, environmental experts told AFP.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
Aston Villa and Tottenham effectively swapped places at either end of the table, with Villa rising up from the bottom three to finish in the top four and Spurs dropping to 17th.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
I say again, rising from my chair, and this time it’s clear that I’m not asking.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
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.
