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

If energy costs soar this year, Energy Secretary Miliband could come under pressure to push back the government's 2030 clean power target.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

Public transport in two Australian states will be made free to incentivise people not to drive as fuel prices soar due to the war in the Middle East.

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026

As utility costs soar in New York, she seeks a delay in cap-and-tax.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

Oil prices didn’t begin to soar until early March, after the Iran conflict was a few days old.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 25, 2026

Who wouldn’t want to watch the foam missile soar a hundred feet into the sky, simply from the power of my stomp and a blast of air?

From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas

Related Words

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