To rise means to move upward or increase. The sun rises in the morning, climbing above the horizon and bringing light to the day. Bread dough rises when yeast creates tiny bubbles of gas inside it, making it puff up before baking. When you stand up from your chair, you rise to your feet.

The word also describes things getting bigger, stronger, or more intense. Temperatures rise on summer afternoons. A student's test scores might rise after weeks of focused practice. When people get angry or excited, you might notice their voices rising in volume or pitch. Waters rise during floods, and prices rise when something becomes scarce.

Rise can also mean to achieve success or reach a higher position. An employee might rise through the ranks to become a manager. A leader rises to power. When someone faces a difficult challenge, we say they rise to the occasion by showing courage and skill exactly when it matters most.

The word carries a sense of natural or gradual movement upward, whether literal (like smoke rising from a campfire) or figurative (like a musician rising to fame). When something falls or sinks, rising is what brings it back up.

As a noun, a rise is an upward movement or increase, like a rise in temperature, prices, or water level. It can also mean a slope or upward stretch of land, like the rise of a hill.