raise

1 of 2

verb

raised; raising

transitive verb

1
: to cause or help to rise to a standing position
2
a
b
: to stir up : incite
raise a rebellion
c
: to flush (game) from cover
d
: to recall from or as if from death
3
a
: to set upright by lifting or building
raise a monument
b
: to lift up
raise your hand
raise sunken treasure
c
: to place higher in rank or dignity : elevate
d
: heighten, invigorate
raise the spirits
e
: to end or suspend the operation or validity of
raise a siege
4
: to get together for a purpose : collect
raise funds
5
a
: grow, cultivate
raise cotton
b
: to bring to maturity : rear
raise a child
c
: to breed and bring (an animal) to maturity
6
a
: to give rise to : provoke
raise a commotion
b
: to give voice to
raise a cheer
7
: to bring up for consideration or debate
raise an issue
8
a
: to increase the strength, intensity, or pitch of
don't raise your voice
b
: to increase the degree of
c
: to cause to rise in level or amount
raise the rent
d(1)
: to increase the amount of (a poker bet)
(2)
: to bet more than (a previous bettor)
e(1)
: to make a higher bridge bid in (a partner's suit)
(2)
: to increase the bid of (one's partner)
9
: to make light and porous
raise dough
10
: to cause to ascend
raise the dust
11
: to multiply (a quantity) by itself a specified number of times
raise two to the fourth power
12
: to bring in sight on the horizon by approaching
raise land
13
a
: to bring up the nap of (cloth)
b
: to cause (something, such as a blister) to form on the skin
14
: to increase the nominal value of fraudulently
raise a check
15
: to articulate (a sound) with the tongue in a higher position
16
: to establish radio communication with

intransitive verb

1
dialect : rise
2
: to increase a bet or bid
raiser noun

raise

2 of 2

noun

1
: an act of raising or lifting
2
: a rising stretch of road : an upward grade : rise
3
: an increase in amount: such as
a
: an increase of a bet or bid
b
: an increase in wages or salary
4
: a vertical or inclined opening or passageway connecting one mine working area with another at a higher level
Phrases
raise Cain or raise hell
1
: to act wildly : create a disturbance
2
: to scold or upbraid someone especially loudly
raised hell with the umpire
raise eyebrows
: to cause surprise or mild disapproval
raise the bar
: to set a higher standard
new software that raises the bar for competitors
Choose the Right Synonym for raise

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

Examples of raise in a Sentence

Verb Raise your hand if you know the answer. Raise your arms above your head. He raised his head and looked around. She raised her eyes from her book and stared at him. He raised the cup to his lips and drank. I raised the lid and peeked inside. Let's raise the windows and get some fresh air in here. We raised the flag to the top of the pole. I carefully raised her to a sitting position. She raised herself onto her knees. Noun the school board approved a raise in the maximum family income for students qualifying for reduced-price lunches
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
South Korea’s topography means that livestock is often raised in crowded factory farms, which contributes to air and water pollution, said Park Jong-moo, a bioethics expert and veterinarian. Min Joo Kim, Washington Post, 1 Apr. 2024 Jameela’s caretakers acknowledge that saying goodbye is hard, but it’s always been their goal that she be raised by gorillas. Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Mar. 2024 The deaths of seven Indian college students across the United States in less than two months have shocked the community and raised serious questions about how they could have been prevented. Juhi Doshi, ABC News, 23 Mar. 2024 All ten amendments voted on Friday were defeated, though some senators took the opportunity to similarly raise concerns with the spending bills on the Senate floor. USA TODAY, 23 Mar. 2024 The Vatican’s Go-To Guy on A.I.: Paolo Benanti advises the Roman Catholic Church and the Italian government on the tricky questions, moral and otherwise, raised by a rapidly advancing technology. Choe Sang-Hun, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2024 The Trump campaign, the RNC, and state GOP parties ultimately receive the overwhelming majority of funds raised through the Trump 47 Committee. CBS News, 22 Mar. 2024 Join Meghan every other Wednesday at 11 a.m. ET, for a live chat to answer questions from parents trying to raise kids of any age. Meghan Leahy, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024 As the awards season comes to a conclusion with Sunday night's 2024 Oscars, celebrities are using their platforms to raise awareness for the Israel-Gaza war. Kimi Robinson, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2024
Noun
Research has consistently shown that face time with management can increase your odds of winning their affection and therefore scoring a promotion or a raise. Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune Europe, 21 Mar. 2024 Part of that overspending stems from a package of police raises and retention bonuses approved by the mayor and council last year. David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024 While wages remain fairly stagnant, or barely high enough to compete with the pace of inflation, CEOs have given themselves a hefty raise. Chloe Berger, Fortune, 18 Mar. 2024 The ambitious effort comes after the UAW won record raises and other perks in new contracts with Ford, General Motors and Stellantis in the fall. Jeanne Whalen, Washington Post, 18 Mar. 2024 All three companies agreed to roughly 25 percent wage increases for workers making the top U.A.W. wage, and even larger raises for workers further down on the pay scale. Neal E. Boudette, New York Times, 18 Mar. 2024 State employees would receive a 2.6% pay raise in each of the two years under the Senate proposal. Bruce Schreiner, Quartz, 13 Mar. 2024 After another big year in 2014, Donaldson was due for a big raise, but the A’s instead traded him to Toronto for Franklin Barreto, Kendall Graveman, Brett Lawrie and Sean Nolin. Jason Mastrodonato, The Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2024 But around 42% of women in the U.S. still have never once requested a pay raise, according to this year’s Future of Women in the Workplace report from job search platform Indeed. Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 8 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'raise.' 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 reisen, raisen, from Old Norse reisa — more at rear

First Known Use

Verb

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

Noun

1538, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of raise was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near raise

Cite this Entry

“Raise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/raise. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

raise

1 of 2 verb
raised; raising
1
: to cause to rise
raise a window
raise dust
2
a
: awake entry 1, arouse
enough noise to raise the dead
b
: to recall from or as if from death
c
: to stir up : incite
raise a rebellion
3
a
: to set upright by lifting or building
raise a monument
b
: to lift up
raise your hand
c
: to place higher especially in rank : promote
was raised to captain
d
: heighten sense 1, invigorate
raise the spirits
4
: collect entry 2 sense 1b
raise funds
5
a
: to look after the growth and development of : grow
raise hogs
raise corn
b
: bring up sense 1, rear sense 3b
raise a child
was raised in the city
6
: bring about
raised a laugh
7
: to bring to notice
raise an issue
8
a
: to increase the strength of
don't raise your voice
b
: to increase the amount of
raise the rent
c
: to increase a bid or bet
9
: to make light and airy
raise dough
10
: to multiply a quantity by itself a specified number of times
raise two to the fourth power
11
: to bring into sight on the horizon by approaching
raised land at last
12
: to cause to form on the skin
raise a blister
raiser noun

raise

2 of 2 noun
1
: an increase in the amount of a bet or bid
2
: an increase in pay

More from Merriam-Webster on raise

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