Raise is a verb meaning to lift something to a higher position or level, to increase quantity or intensity, or to bring up a topic in discussion. It often implies purposeful action to elevate physical, moral, or figurative states. The term appears in contexts ranging from everyday lifting to policy decisions and social conversations.
"She will raise the box onto the shelf."
"The company plans to raise prices next quarter."
"He raised his eyebrow in skeptical amusement."
"They raised the issue at the town hall meeting."
Raise comes from Old Norse rekon meaning 'to lift, raise, raise up', via Middle English raise, raisen, from Old French relever, later influenced by raire to rise. The sense evolution traces a core semantic field of lifting or lifting up, extending metaphorically to raise in status, raise a question, or raise funds. The earliest English attestations appear in the late Old English period with variants in spelling such as rosen (to rise) and raise as a borrowing/formation through Norman influence. By the 13th-14th centuries, raise had become the general verb meaning to lift or elevate physically, and by the 16th-17th centuries it acquired extensions to abstract meanings (raise a suspicion, raise an objection, raise funds). The word’s Germanic and Romance roots converge on the concept of upward movement, escalation, or elicitation, and over time it also took on phrasal verb forms and idioms that emphasize initiation and amplification in both concrete and metaphorical senses.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Raise" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Raise" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Raise"
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Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronounce as /reɪz/. The vowel is a long A, as in 'face'. Start with a mid-to-high front jaw position, the lips unrounded and relaxed, then end with a voiced z-voicing. Stress is on the syllable (only one syllable here), and ensure the final z is not devoiced in careful speech. For audio reference, compare to 'rays' or 'raise' in sentences, listening to a clear /reɪz/ pronunciation.
Two frequent errors: (1) Using /ɹeɪs/ with a tense or clipped ending, as if ending with a hiss rather than z voice. (2) Mispronouncing the final consonant as /s/ or /z/ inconsistently due to voicing. To correct: keep the vocal fold vibration for /z/ continuous from the vowel into the consonant; avoid devoicing the final sound. Practice with minimal pairs and focused voicing checks.
In US, UK, and AU, /reɪz/ remains the same vowel nucleus /eɪ/ but rhotics can influence surrounding articulation in connected speech; the main differences may appear in vowel length and flapping in rapid speech. The /z/ is generally voiced across dialects. Listen for subtle tempo and fluency differences, with UK often delivering crisper consonant release and US more flattened vowels in casual speech.
The challenge comes from the /eɪ/ diphthong that requires a precise glide from /e/ to /ɪ/ within a single syllable, while transitioning into a voiced /z/. Learners may over- or under-articulate the glide and mispronounce the final consonant as /s/ or /z/ inconsistently. Focus on maintaining a consistent, voiced ending and a clear onset with relaxed lips and a gentle jaw position.
In formal contexts like ‘raise funds’ or ‘raise concerns,’ emphasis stays on the verb with a crisp release, but in fast dialogue, it blends into connected speech; you may hear a subtle reduction in duration before the following word. Remember that the meaning can shift with intonation—rising intonation can accompany a question, while a fall may mark a statement.
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