rally

1 of 3

verb (1)

ral·​ly ˈra-lē How to pronounce rally (audio)
rallied; rallying

transitive verb

1
a
: to muster for a common purpose
b
: to recall to order
2
a
: to arouse for action
b
: to rouse from depression or weakness

intransitive verb

1
: to come together again to renew an effort
2
: to join in a common cause
3
: recover, rebound
rallied briefly from his illness
4
: to engage in a rally

rally

2 of 3

noun

plural rallies
1
a
: a mustering of scattered forces to renew an effort
b
: a summoning up of strength or courage after weakness or dejection
c
: a recovery of price after a decline
d
: a renewed offensive
2
: a mass meeting intended to arouse group enthusiasm
3
: a series of shots interchanged between players (as in tennis) before a point is won
4
or less commonly rallye [French rallye, from English rally entry 1] : an automobile competition using public roads and ordinary traffic rules with the object of maintaining a specified average speed between checkpoints over a route unknown to the participants until the start of the event

rally

3 of 3

verb (2)

rallied; rallying

transitive verb

: to attack with raillery : banter

Examples of rally in a Sentence

Verb (1) rallied the Red Cross workers to deal with the devastating earthquake despite the best care that medicine could provide, the elderly woman never really rallied from her fractured hip after wavering a moment on the balance beam, she quickly rallied and finished with a fine dismount Noun Supporters held a rally for the candidate. Protesters staged an antiwar rally. Stock prices are up after the dollar's rally yesterday. Verb (2) his friends rallied him for missing an easy putt
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The Packers rallied without their franchise quarterback, though, and defeated the Jaguars, 30-27. Rob Reischel, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024 The national focus on the race was evident on a recent weekend, with Johnson headlining a $250-per-person fundraiser for McGraw in Peoria and California Rep. Pete Aguilar, the No. 3 Democrat in the House, rallying door-knocking volunteers with Sorensen in Peoria Heights. Dan Petrella, Chicago Tribune, 27 Oct. 2024
Noun
Harris also is planning an event on Tuesday at the Ellipse near the White House in Washington D.C., site of the Trump rally that preceded the insurrection of January 6th, 2021. Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 29 Oct. 2024 Inside the Democrats’ rally at the Frederick Douglass Family Center, volunteers abounded with clipboards holding large QR codes that lead to volunteer signups. Kayla Dwyer, The Indianapolis Star, 29 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for rally 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rally.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

French rallier, from Old French ralier, from re- + alier to unite — more at ally

Verb (2)

French railler to mock, rally — more at rail

First Known Use

Verb (1)

1599, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

1646, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (2)

1668, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rally was in 1599

Dictionary Entries Near rally

Cite this Entry

“Rally.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rally. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

rally

1 of 3 verb
ral·​ly ˈral-ē How to pronounce rally (audio)
rallied; rallying
1
a
: to bring or come together for a common purpose
rallied to the cause
b
: to bring back to order
rallied the retreating troops
2
: to rouse from low spirits or weakness
the patient rallied
3
: to make a comeback
the team rallied in the fourth quarter
stock prices rallied at the close of trading

rally

2 of 3 noun
plural rallies
1
: the action of rallying
2
: a big meeting intended to arouse enthusiasm
3
: a series of shots hit back and forth between players (as in tennis) before a point is won

rally

3 of 3 verb
rallied; rallying
: to tease in a good-natured way
Etymology

Verb

from French rallier "to call or come together for a common purpose," from early French ralier (same meaning), from re- "again, back" and alier "to unite"

Verb

from French railler "to mock, tease," from early French railler (same meaning) — related to rail entry 4

More from Merriam-Webster on rally

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