Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

Thesaurus

rear

adjective

Synonyms and Antonyms of rear

being at or in the part of something opposite the front part
  • go to the back of the building and look out the rear window and youʼll see the eagle
Synonyms of rear

aft, after, back, hind, hinder, hindmost, posterior, rearward
Words Related to rear

dorsal
Near Antonyms of rear

ventral
Antonyms of rear

anterior, fore, forward, front, frontal

rear

noun

Synonyms and Antonyms of rear

1 a behind part or surface
  • the rear of the car was sleekly designed
Synonyms of rear

back, reverse, tail
Antonyms of rear

face, forehead, forepart, front
2 the part of the body upon which someone sits
  • fell off her skates onto her rear
Synonyms of rear

backside, behind, booty (also bootie) [slang], bottom, breech, bum, buns, butt, buttocks, caboose, can, cheeks, derriere (or derrière), duff, fanny, fundament, hams, haunches, heinie [slang], hunkers, keister (also keester) [slang], nates, posterior, rear end, rump, seat, tail, tail end, tush [slang]
Words Related to rear

beam, stern

moon [slang]

rear

verb

Synonyms and Antonyms of rear

1 to bring to maturity through care and education
  • watched a documentary on how wolves rear their young
Synonyms of rear

breed, bring up, foster, nourish, nurse, raise
Words Related to rear

father, mother

attend, care (for), cradle, cultivate, mind, minister (to), nurture, watch

discipline, educate, instruct, mentor, school, teach, train, tutor

edify, enlighten, indoctrinate

feed, provide (for), supply

advance, forward, further, promote

prepare

direct, guide, lead, shepherd, show
Near Antonyms of rear

abuse, ill-treat, ill-use, maltreat, mishandle, mistreat

ignore, neglect

harm, hurt, injure
2 to fix in an upright position
  • it took all the men in the village to rear the frame for the barn, pulling hard at the ropes until all the sides were standing
Synonyms of rear

erect, pitch, put up, raise, set up, upend, upraise
Words Related to rear

brace, buttress, prop (up), shore (up), support

boost, crane, elevate, heave, heft, heighten, hike, hoist, jack (up), lift, perk (up), pick up, up, uphold, uplift
Near Antonyms of rear

demolish, flatten, knock down, level, raze, tear down
3 to form by putting together parts or materials
  • the city has plans for rearing a new convention center over the next two years
Synonyms of rear

assemble, build, confect, construct, erect, fabricate, make, make up, piece, put up, raise, set up
Words Related to rear

carpenter, fashion, forge, frame, hammer, handcraft, manufacture, mold, produce, shape

prefabricate

begin, coin, create, generate, inaugurate, initiate, innovate, invent, originate

constitute, establish, father, found, institute, organize

conceive, concoct, contrive, cook (up), design, devise, imagine, think (up)

reassemble, rebuild, reconstruct, redevelop, reedify [British], retrofit

jerry-build, rig (up), throw up

combine, unite
Phrases Synonymous with rear

put together
Near Antonyms of rear

demolish, destroy, devastate, flatten, level, pull down, pulverize, raze, ruin, ruinate, shatter, smash, wreck

blow up, explode

detach, disengage

disconnect, disjoin, disunite, divide, separate
Antonyms of rear

demount, disassemble, dismantle, dismember, knock down, strike, take down, tear down
4 to look after or assist the growth of by labor and care
  • an amateur who rears rare orchids in a professional-grade greenhouse
Synonyms of rear

crop, cultivate, culture, dress, grow, promote, raise, tend
Words Related to rear

breed, produce, propagate

plant, sow

gather, glean, harvest, reap

germinate, quicken, ripen, root, sprout
Near Antonyms of rear

kill

dig, extirpate, pick, pluck, pull (up), uproot

cut, hay, mow

Synonym Discussion of rear

lift, raise, rear, elevate, hoist, heave, boost mean to move from a lower to a higher place or position. lift usually implies exerting effort to overcome resistance of weight.
    • lift the chair while I vacuum
raise carries a stronger implication of bringing up to the vertical or to a high position.
    • scouts raising a flagpole
rear may add an element of suddenness to raise.
    • suddenly reared itself up on its hind legs
elevate may replace lift or raise especially when exalting or enhancing is implied.
    • elevated the taste of the public
hoist implies lifting something heavy especially by mechanical means.
    • hoisted the cargo on board
heave implies lifting and throwing with great effort or strain.
    • heaved the heavy crate inside
boost suggests assisting to climb or advance by a push.
    • boosted his brother over the fence

Learn More about rear

  1. See words that rhyme with rear Dictionary: Definition of rear Spanish Central: Translation of rear Nglish: Translation of rear for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of rear for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about rear

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up rear? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games