rise

1 of 2

verb

rose ˈrōz How to pronounce rise (audio) ; risen ˈri-zᵊn How to pronounce rise (audio) ; rising ˈrī-ziŋ How to pronounce rise (audio)

intransitive verb

1
a
: to assume an upright position especially from lying, kneeling, or sitting
b
: to get up from sleep or from one's bed
2
: to return from death
3
: to take up arms
rise in rebellion
4
: to respond warmly : applaud
usually used with to
the audience rose to her verve and wit
5
chiefly British : to end a session : adjourn
6
: to appear above the horizon
the sun rises at six
7
a
: to move upward : ascend
b
: to increase in height, size, volume, or pitch
8
: to extend above other objects
mountain peaks rose to the west
9
a
: to become heartened or elated
his spirits rose
b
: to increase in fervor or intensity
my anger rose as I thought about the insult
10
a
: to attain a higher level or rank
officers who rose from the ranks
b
: to increase in quantity or number
11
a
: to take place : happen
b
: to come into being : originate
12
: to follow as a consequence : result
13
: to exert oneself to meet a challenge
rise to the occasion

rise

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: a spot higher than surrounding ground : hilltop
b
: an upward slope
a rise in the road
2
: an act of rising or a state of being risen: such as
a
: a movement upward : ascent
b
: emergence (as of the sun) above the horizon
c
: the upward movement of a fish to seize food or bait
3
: beginning, origin
the river had its rise in the mountain
4
: the distance or elevation of one point above another
5
a
: an increase especially in amount, number, or volume
b
chiefly British : raise sense 3b
c
: an increase in price, value, rate, or sum
a rise in the cost of living
6
: an angry reaction
got a rise out of him
7
: the distance from the crotch to the waistline on pants
Choose the Right Synonym for rise

spring, arise, rise, originate, derive, flow, issue, emanate, proceed, stem mean to come up or out of something into existence.

spring implies rapid or sudden emerging.

an idea that springs to mind

arise and rise may both convey the fact of coming into existence or notice but rise often stresses gradual growth or ascent.

new questions have arisen
slowly rose to prominence

originate implies a definite source or starting point.

the fire originated in the basement

derive implies a prior existence in another form.

the holiday derives from an ancient Roman feast

flow adds to spring a suggestion of abundance or ease of inception.

words flowed easily from her pen

issue suggests emerging from confinement through an outlet.

blood issued from the cut

emanate applies to the coming of something immaterial (such as a thought) from a source.

reports emanating from the capital

proceed stresses place of origin, derivation, parentage, or logical cause.

advice that proceeds from the best of intentions

stem implies originating by dividing or branching off from something as an outgrowth or subordinate development.

industries stemming from space research

Examples of rise in a Sentence

Verb Smoke was rising into the air. Bubbles rose to the surface of water. The tide rose and fell. The land rises as you move away from the coast. a tower rising above the little town a politician who rose to fame very quickly The book has risen to the top of best-seller lists. People are angry about rising gasoline prices. The market is continuing to rise. The wind rose in the afternoon. Noun We watched the rise and fall of the waves. The book describes the empire's rise and fall. the meteoric rise of the Internet a politician's rise to fame See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Legislators don’t trust the DMV to ensure safety June 1, 2023 The safety issue has risen to the fore after San Francisco police officers and the city’s fire chief complained in August that driverless taxis deployed by Cruise and Waymo persisently impede emergency vehicles and first responders. Russ Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 12 Sep. 2023 The latest shots are becoming available as COVID hospitalizations and deaths are rising slightly, albeit not to the levels of past years. Christina Jewett, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Sep. 2023 In 1988, after 17 years under the iron rule of General Augusto Pinochet, the country rose to shrug off the dictatorship through nonviolent mass protests and civil-society mobilization. Ruth Ben-Ghiat, The Atlantic, 11 Sep. 2023 This means that if the dollar falls in value, the price of rare metals may rise. Laxmi Corp, The Salt Lake Tribune, 11 Sep. 2023 The pharma giant’s stock rose 1.6% on Monday afternoon, putting Lilly on track for a new all-time high dating back to 1972. WSJ, 11 Sep. 2023 The violence of the piece is jarring at first, but as the short composition plays out, its musical pulse rises to the fore. Kriston Capps, Washington Post, 11 Sep. 2023 The number of people experiencing homelessness in Maricopa County has risen in recent years. Helen Rummel, The Arizona Republic, 31 Aug. 2023 But the water rose too high, even for Mitch Mitchell’s house, which was elevated over 10 feet. Reis Thebault, Washington Post, 31 Aug. 2023
Noun
The rise in poverty in 2022, social policy experts said, was the inevitable result of that decision. Ben Casselman, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Sep. 2023 At the time the lawsuit was first filed, US antitrust officials did not rule out the possibility of a Google breakup, warning that Google’s behavior could threaten future innovation or the rise of a Google successor. Brian Fung, CNN, 12 Sep. 2023 This same ideology helped give rise to the story Belgians sometimes told themselves about the nation’s exploitation of Congo: that the occupation was driven in significant part by a desire to free or protect Africans from slavery. Christopher Hawthorne, The New Yorker, 12 Sep. 2023 September 11, 2023 When world leaders assembled for their group photo at the G20 summit in New Delhi Sunday, there was no Xi Jinping to showcase China’s rise, no Vladimir Putin to glad-hand and lobby for Russia’s perspective on its war in Ukraine. Howard Lafranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Sep. 2023 The Justice Department has been reluctant to disclose the names of individual prosecutors on Smith’s team, citing a rise in threats against them that has prompted extensive security precautions. Perry Stein, Anchorage Daily News, 10 Sep. 2023 The latest is this muscular-looking epic action-drama starring Joaquin Phoenix as Napoleon Bonaparte during his early rise to power, with Vanessa Kirby as his first wife, Empress Joséphine. Los Angeles Times, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Sep. 2023 Owing to the rise of artificial intelligence and the recent, widespread adoption of ChatGPT, cybercriminals have also adopted new and more sophisticated linguistics methods, such as text volume, punctuation, and sentence length with no links or attachments. Nick Kasmik, USA TODAY, 1 Sep. 2023 On Sunday, Evergrande reported a significant narrowing of its net losses for the first half of the year, thanks to a rise in revenue. Laura He, CNN, 31 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rise.' 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

Middle English, from Old English rīsan; akin to Old High German rīsan to rise

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of rise was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near rise

Cite this Entry

“Rise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rise. Accessed 26 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

rise

1 of 2 verb
rose ˈrōz How to pronounce rise (audio) ; risen ˈriz-ᵊn How to pronounce rise (audio) ; rising ˈrī-ziŋ How to pronounce rise (audio)
1
a
: to get up from lying, kneeling, or sitting
b
: to get up from sleep or from one's bed
2
: to return from death
3
: to take up arms
the people rose in rebellion
4
: to appear above the horizon
sun rises at six
5
a
: to move upward : ascend
smoke rises
b
: to extend upward
hill rises to a great height
6
: to swell in size or volume
the river was rising
bread dough rises
7
a
: to become encouraged
their spirits rose
b
: to grow stronger
felt her anger rising
8
a
: to gain a higher rank or position
rose to colonel
b
: to increase in quantity or number
prices were rising
9
a
: arise sense 2b
an ugly rumor had risen
b
: to come into being : originate
river rises in the hills
10
: to show oneself equal to a demand or test
rise to the occasion

rise

2 of 2 noun
1
: an act of rising : a state of being risen
2
3
: the distance of one point above another
4
: an increase in amount, number, or volume
5
a
: an upward slope
b
: a spot higher than surrounding ground
6
: an angry reaction

More from Merriam-Webster on rise

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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