To soar means to fly high and smoothly through the air, usually without much effort. Eagles soar on warm air currents, spreading their wings wide and gliding for miles without flapping. When you watch a hawk circling overhead, riding invisible columns of rising air, that's soaring.

The word captures something graceful and effortless about flight. A paper airplane might flutter and dip, but if you fold it just right and launch it perfectly, it can soar across the playground in a long, beautiful arc.

People use soar to describe anything that rises quickly and impressively. Temperatures soar on a summer day. A basketball player's confidence might soar after making several shots in a row. When a singer hits the high notes perfectly, you might say her voice soars. Stock prices soar when a company announces great news.

The word always suggests something rising upward with power and grace, whether it's a bird catching a thermal, a child's spirits lifting after good news, or a baseball soaring over the outfield fence for a home run. Unlike simply flying or rising, soar implies reaching impressive heights while making it look easy.