1
: having few stories and not usually equipped with elevators
a low-rise apartment/office building
2
: of, relating to, or characterized by low-rise buildings
a low-rise housing development
3
: having a shorter than standard rise (see rise entry 2 sense 7)
low-rise jeans
The finishing touch of her ensemble then came in the form of "old school," low-rise brown suede … pants and coordinating brown leather boots.Claudia Miller
Jeans can also be OK … in some work environments, but not the "Saturday night jeans" that are low-rise and sexy.Paula Rath

Examples of low-rise in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Featuring a relaxed fit and low-rise waist, these baggy jorts cover the knees and are made to go with anything. Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026 New styles for men include relaxed straight painter jeans, baggy cargo and barrel fits and low-rise baggy jeans with drawstring waists. Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 28 Aug. 2026 Sections of the beach outside the six precincts would remain low-rise with a height cap of 65 feet. Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 23 Aug. 2026 As for her bikini, Jenner’s full outfit consisted of a triangle bra top held up by two tiny straps, and a pair of super low-rise bikini bottoms with lengthy waist ties. Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 22 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for low-rise

Word History

First Known Use

1922, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of low-rise was in 1922

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Low-rise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/low-rise. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!