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

Chip startup Cerebras revised its target price twice before finally going public at $185 a share -- then watched the stock soar 68% on its very first day of trading.

From Barron's • May 17, 2026

Cerebras saw its shares soar 68% in its first day of trading on Thursday.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

A lot of people believe that once SpaceX shares are available to the public, the price will soar like a Falcon 9 rocket.

From MarketWatch • May 12, 2026

Back then, the tall angled ceilings seemed to soar and the breakfast combos looked mountainous.

From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026

She tried to imagine, what it would feel like, to straddle a dragon's neck and soar high in the air.

From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin

Related Words

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