Rise (verb) means to move upward, to increase in amount or level, or to get out of bed. As a noun, rise means an upward movement or an increase. Irregular verb: rise / rose / risen.
What Does Rise Mean?
Rise is one of the oldest and most common words in English, with roots in Old English rīsan meaning to get up or stand. Today it covers a wide range of meanings: physical upward movement (the balloon rose into the sky), increases in quantity or level (prices have risen), and getting out of bed (she rises early every morning).
As a noun, rise refers to an upward movement or an increase in amount: a sharp rise in temperatures, the rise of streaming services. In British English, a pay rise is an increase in salary — note that American English uses pay raise instead.
Understanding rise also means knowing when not to use it. Rise is intransitive — it never takes a direct object. When you want to say that someone or something causes an upward movement, use raise instead: you raise a flag, but a flag rises. This raise/rise distinction is one of the most tested points at B1–B2 level.
Etymology: from Old English rīsan (to get up, arise), related to Old Norse rísa and Old High German rīsan. The Germanic root is connected to the modern German reisen (to travel), both originally expressing the idea of setting out or moving upward. Entered its modern English form before the 12th century.
Example Sentences
| Level | Sentence | Usage note |
|---|---|---|
| A2 | The sun rises at about six o'clock in summer. | rise as a simple present verb — natural phenomenon |
| B1 | There has been a sharp rise in interest in online English courses. | rise as a noun + prepositional phrase |
| B1 | After two years in the same role, she finally got a pay rise. | pay rise — British English collocation |
| B2 | Temperatures rose by three degrees during the heatwave last July. | rose — simple past irregular form |
| C1 | Rapid population growth in the region has given rise to significant pressure on public services. | give rise to — formal fixed phrase meaning to cause |
Collocations
| Collocation | Example |
|---|---|
| sharp rise | There has been a sharp rise in energy bills this winter. |
| dramatic rise | A dramatic rise in demand led to empty shelves across the country. |
| gradual rise | The gradual rise in sea levels is being monitored by scientists. |
| steady rise | House prices have shown a steady rise over the past decade. |
| rise in prices | Consumers are struggling to cope with the rise in food prices. |
| rise in temperature | A rise in temperature of just two degrees could cause serious damage. |
| pay rise | He negotiated a pay rise after his performance review. |
| give rise to | The discovery gave rise to a new branch of scientific research. |
| on the rise | Cybercrime is on the rise according to the latest government report. |
| rise to power | The documentary traces the politician's rise to power over twenty years. |
Usage Notes
Rise vs. raise: Rise is intransitive — it describes movement that happens without an agent: Prices rise. The tide rises. He rose from his chair. Raise is transitive — someone or something causes the action: The bank raised interest rates. She raised her hand.
Irregular forms: Present: rise — Past simple: rose — Past participle: risen. Never use rised — it does not exist in standard British English.
British vs. American English: In British English a salary increase is a pay rise. In American English the same thing is called a pay raise. Both forms of the noun are correct in their respective varieties.
On the rise: This fixed phrase means currently increasing and is commonly used in journalism and business writing: Inflation is on the rise.
Common Mistakes
Watch Out For
The manager rised the prices last month.
The manager raised the prices last month. (use raise when a person causes the action)
Interest rates have rised sharply.
Interest rates have risen sharply. (risen is the correct past participle)
The temperature is rising up.
The temperature is rising. (rise already implies upward movement — up is redundant)