rehearse

verb

re·​hearse ri-ˈhərs 

rehearsed; rehearsing

transitive verb

1

a

: to say again : repeat

b

: to recite aloud in a formal manner

2

: to present an account of : relate

rehearse a familiar story

3

: to recount in order : enumerate

rehearsed their demands

4

a

: to give a rehearsal of

b

: to train or make proficient by rehearsal

5

: to perform or practice as if in a rehearsal

intransitive verb

: to engage in a rehearsal

rehearser noun

Synonyms of rehearse

• practice

Examples of rehearse in a Sentence

The orchestra is rehearsing a piece by Schumann.

The band stayed up late rehearsing for the big show.

We were allowed to watch the director rehearse the dancers.

lawyers rehearsing their closing arguments

He rehearsed his dance moves in front of the mirror.

Recent Examples on the Web

Keep it light and clever, yet commit to a piece long enough to actually wrap it, whether that means editing your podcast or rehearsing your lines once. —Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2026

Some of the movie is an acid satire of pre-wedding rituals — like the first dance that Charlie and Emma are dutifully rehearsing for, with a ridiculously stern taskmaster of a coach. —Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 31 Mar. 2026

Music director Bowling, who doubles as pianist and conductor from the center of the stage, the eight other musicians and 20-plus actors arrayed around her, half-jokes how much her hands hurt from rehearsing the stride style that evolved from ragtime. —Manuel Mendoza, Dallas Morning News, 27 Mar. 2026

Much of the Ivorian history and folklore she’s gleaned over the years was taught to her by her mother, who still rehearses with her and sometimes performs with her onstage. —Chinonso Ihekire, Rolling Stone, 25 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English rehersen, from Anglo-French rehercer, from re- + hercer to harrow, from herce harrow — more at hearse

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Rhymes for rehearse

• adverse
• averse
• coerce
• disburse
• disperse
• diverse
• immerse
• inverse
• obverse
• perverse
• reverse
• transverse

Kids Definition

rehearse

verb

re·​hearse ri-ˈhərs 

rehearsed; rehearsing

1

a

: to say again : repeat

b

: to recount in order : enumerate

they rehearsed their complaints in a letter

2

a

: to practice (a play or scene) for public performance

b

: to train or instruct (as actors) by rehearsal

3

: to engage in a rehearsal

rehearser noun

Etymology

Middle English rehersen "to say again, repeat," from early French rehercier "to go over again and again," literally, "to harrow again," from re- "again" and hercier "to harrow," from herce "a harrow"

Word Origin

In the Middle Ages, French farmers used a tool they called a herce. This was a triangular wooden frame with sturdy pegs or teeth on one side. It was pulled over plowed farmland to break up the soil in order to make it smooth for planting. The early French verb used to describe this action was hercier, which meant "to harrow." In most cases the process had to be repeated over and over, so the word rehercier was formed, meaning "to harrow again" or "reharrow." In time, rehercier came to be used with more general meanings like "to go over something again (and again)," as in repeating a school lesson or a story. The word came into Middle English as rehersen, meaning "to say again, repeat." Through the years the English word, now spelled rehearse, has picked up new meanings. Perhaps the most familiar one now is "to go through (a scene or play) over and over for practice until it is ready for performance."