To uprise means to rise up, especially in revolt or rebellion against authority. When people uprise against unfair rulers, they refuse to obey and fight for their rights and freedom. Throughout history, colonists have risen up against distant kings, workers have risen up against unjust bosses, and citizens have risen up against corrupt governments.

The word carries a sense of courage and determination. When you uprise, you actively stand up and take action, often at personal risk, rather than waiting passively for change. The American colonists rose up against British rule in 1776. More recently, people in various countries have risen up against dictators who denied them basic freedoms.

You might also use uprise more literally to mean simply rising up physically, like the sun rising at dawn, though this usage is less common today. The noun form, uprising, appears more frequently: “The uprising began peacefully but grew more intense.”

People sometimes choose to uprise together when they feel they have no other way to change an unjust situation.