raise
[verb]
Synonyms:
- lift, build, elevate, erect, heave, hoist, rear, uplift
- increase, advance, amplify, boost, enhance, enlarge, heighten, inflate, intensify, magnify, strengthen
- collect, assemble, form, gather, mass, obtain, rally, recruit
- cause, create, engender, occasion, originate, produce, provoke, start
- bring up, develop, nurture, rear
- suggest, advance, broach, introduce, moot, put forward

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Antonyms: lower
Contrasted words: cut back, decrease, drop, lessen, reduce, roll back, minimize
Related Idioms: send through the roof
Related Words: inflate

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English Thesaurus: increase, go up, rise, grow, escalate, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. raise¹ S1 W1 /reɪz/ verb [transitive]
[Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old Norse; Origin: reisa]

1. MOVE HIGHER to move or lift something to a higher position, place, or level:
Can you raise the lamp so I can see?
William raised his hat and smiled at her.
Raise your hand if you know the right answer.

REGISTER
In everyday British English, people usually say lift something up rather than raise something:
Can you lift up the lamp a bit?
British English speakers usually say put up your hand rather than raise your hand:
Put your hand up if you know the right answer.

2. INCREASE to increase an amount, number, or level Antonym : lower:
Many shops have raised their prices.
The university is working to raise the number of students from state schools.
a campaign to raise awareness of meningitis
Dr Hayward intends to raise the museum’s profile (=make it more well-known).

REGISTER
In everyday British English, people usually say put up an amount, a price etc rather than raise it:
They’ve put the price of fuel up again.

3. COLLECT MONEY to collect money that you can use to do a particular job or help people:
The Trust hopes to raise $1 million to buy land.
They are raising funds to help needy youngsters.
a concert to raise money for charity ⇒ fundraising

4. IMPROVE to improve the quality or standard of something:
Changing the law cannot raise standards.
The team need to raise their game.

5. START A SUBJECT to begin to talk or write about a subject that you want to be considered or a question that you think should be answered Synonym : bring up:
He did not raise the subject again.
I’d like to raise the issue of publicity.
Betty raised the important question of who will be in charge.

6. CAUSE A REACTION to cause a particular emotion or reaction:
This attack raises fears of increased violence against foreigners.
The way the research was carried out raises doubts about the results.

7. MOVE EYES OR FACE to move your eyes, head, or face so that you are looking up Antonym : lower:
Albert raised his eyes and stared at Ruth.
‘No,’ he said without raising his head.

8. MOVE UPRIGHT (also raise up) to move or lift yourself into an upright position Antonym : lower
raise yourself
Adele raised herself from the pillows.
He raised himself up on one elbow to watch.

9. CHILDREN especially American English to look after your children and help them grow Synonym : bring up British English:
Stan’s dad died, leaving his mother to raise three sons alone.
It was time for Dean to settle down and raise a family.
Anne married a Jew, despite being raised a Catholic.
The new generation was the first to be raised on processed food.
Camus was born and raised in Algeria.

10. ANIMALS OR PLANTS to look after animals or grow plants so that they can be sold or used as food:
He raised cattle in Nebraska when he was young.
Jim retired to raise raspberries.

11. COLLECT PEOPLE to collect together a large group of people, especially soldiers:
The rebels quickly raised an army.

12. raise a smile to smile when you are not feeling happy, or to make someone smile when they are not feeling happy:
I couldn’t raise a smile.

13. raise your eyebrows to show surprise, doubt, disapproval etc by moving your eyebrows upwards:
Blanche raised her eyebrows in surprise.

14. raise eyebrows if something raises eyebrows, it surprises people:
The band’s new sound will raise some eyebrows.

15. raise your voice to speak loudly or shout because you are angry:
He’s never raised his voice to me.
I could hear raised voices in the next room.

16. raise your glass spoken to celebrate someone’s happiness or success by holding up your glass and drinking from it:
Ladies and gentlemen, will you raise your glasses to the bride and groom.

17. raise the alarm British English to warn people about a danger so that they can take action:
Sam stayed with his injured friend while a passing motorist raised the alarm.

18. raise the spectre of something literary to make people feel afraid that something frightening might soon happen:
The violence has raised the spectre of civil war.

19. raise its (ugly) head if a question or problem raises its head, it appears and has to be dealt with:
Another problem then raised its ugly head.

20. raise the bar to do, produce, or be something better than anyone has done or produced before, so that other people then feel they have to do better themselves:
He has raised the bar for other filmmakers.

21. CARD GAME to make a higher bid than an opponent in a card game:
I’ll raise you $100.

22. raise hell informal to complain in a very angry way about something you think is not acceptable:
I’ll raise hell with whoever is responsible for this mess.

23. raise hell/Cain especially American English to behave in a wild, noisy way that upsets other people:
The kids next door were raising hell last night.

24. raise the roof to make a very loud noise when singing, celebrating etc

25. SPEAK TO SOMEBODY to speak to someone on a piece of radio equipment Synonym : contact, get:
They finally managed to raise him at Miller’s sheep farm.

26. WAKE SOMEBODY literary to wake someone who is difficult to wake:
Try as he might he could not raise her.

27. DEAD PERSON old use to make someone who has died live again:
Jesus raised Lazarus from the grave.

28. raise a siege/embargo formal to allow goods to go in and out of a place again after they have been stopped by force or by a law

29. BUILD formal to build something such as a monument Synonym : erect

30. raise 2/4/10 etc to the power of 2/3/4 etc technical to multiply a number by itself a particular number of times:
2 raised to the power of 3 is 8.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. raise² noun [countable]
American English an increase in the money you earn Synonym : rise British English

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

raise
I.
noun
BAD: There has been an enormous raise in house prices.
GOOD: There has been an enormous rise in house prices.

Usage Note:
a raise = (American English) an increase in wages or salary: 'The State Government simply can't afford to give all teachers a raise.'
a rise = an increase in quantity, cost, price salary etc: 'For those on low incomes, another rise in the cost of living could be devastating.'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

raise
II.
verb
1.
BAD: When I was a child, I used to raise my own flowers in a corner of the garden.
GOOD: When I was a child, I used to grow my own flowers in a corner of the garden.

Usage Note:
raise plants, vegetables, animals etc, especially on a farm to sell as food: 'He grew up in Nebraska where his parents raised chickens.'
grow plants, flowers, vegetables, etc, in a garden for pleasure: 'This year I thought I'd try growing a few tomatoes.'

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2.
BAD: They offered to raise up my salary.
GOOD: They offered to raise my salary.

Usage Note:
raise sth (WITHOUT up ): 'If you want to ask a question, just raise your hand.' 'The age of retirement should be lowered, not raised.'

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3.
BAD: The cost of living has raised by 20 per cent this year.
GOOD: The cost of living has risen by 20 per cent this year.
BAD: Sales raised rapidly.
GOOD: Sales rose rapidly.
BAD: The rain had caused the water level to raise.
GOOD: The rain had caused the water level to rise.

Usage Note:
Raise (raising, raised, raised) is a transitive verb: 'They wouldn't dare to raise taxes just before an election.'
Rise (rising, rose, risen) is intransitive: 'The divorce rate has risen steadily over the last forty years.' 'Prices rose again last month.'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

increase to become larger in number, amount, or degree:
Sales increased by 25%.
The level of violence has increased.
go up to increase. Go up is less formal than increase, and is the usual verb to use in everyday English:
The price of coffee has gone up.
rise to increase. Rise sounds a little formal and is often used when talking about the level of something increasing:
The demand for oil has been rising steadily.
Living standards have risen dramatically.
grow to increase, especially gradually over a period of time – used about numbers or amounts:
Since 1990, US imports of foreign goods have grown at a rate of 7.7% per year.
The number of people working from home has grown substantially.
escalate to increase to a high level – used about things that you do not want to increase such as costs, crimes, or violence:
Fuel prices are escalating.
The fighting has escalated.
double/triple to become twice as much or three times as much:
Since 1950, the number of people dying from cancer has almost doubled.
The company’s profits tripled last quarter.
expand to become larger in size, or to include a wider range of activities:
The business has expanded at a rate of 15% per year.
We are hoping to expand into mobile phone services.
soar to increase and reach a very high level – used about numbers and amounts, or about feelings:
The temperature soared to 36.6 degrees centigrade.
His confidence soared.
The singer’s popularity has soared.
shoot up to increase very quickly and suddenly – used about prices, numbers, or temperatures:
Share prices shot up 30% over the last week.
put something up to increase prices, taxes etc. Put up something is less formal than increase, and is the usual verb to use in everyday English:
The landlord has put the rent up again.
They’re always putting up gas prices.
raise to increase something such as prices or taxes, or levels or standards:
The bank has raised interest rates for the third time this year.
The school aims to raise students’ levels of achievement.
boost to increase sales, profits, production etc, especially when they have been lower than you want them to be:
Growing affluence has boosted sales.
Oil exports boosted the economy.
extend to increase something such as your power or influence, or the number of things you are involved in:
We are hoping to extend the range of services that we offer.
The company plans to extend its dominance of the world car market.
step up something to increase your efforts or activities, especially to change a situation:
Security has been stepped up following the bombing.
Local people have stepped up their campaign to prevent a prison being built in their neighbourhood.
heighten to increase a feeling or effect:
The attack has heightened concerns about racism in schools.
Hunger can heighten the effect that alcohol has on you.
maximize to increase something as much as possible:
Businesses try to maximize efficiency and cut costs.
To maximize the chances of a successful pregnancy, you should make sure that you eat well.
big/large
The company has announced a big increase in its profits for last year.
slight/small
Doctors have reported a slight increase in the number of deaths caused by the disease.
The temperature increase was quite small.
great (=big)
There has been a great increase in air traffic in the last twenty years.
huge/massive (=very big)
There was a huge increase in emigration after the war.
substantial/considerable formal (=quite big)
He negotiated a substantial increase in pay for the workers.
significant/marked (=definite and noticeable)
Over the last few years, there has been a marked increase in tourism to developing countries.
dramatic/sharp (=large and sudden)
What has led to this dramatic increase in prices?
rapid (=happening quickly)
Recently there has been a rapid increase in fish farming.
modest (=small)
The figures reveal a modest increase in the birth rate.
gradual (=happening slowly)
Her temperature chart showed a gradual increase over the preceding six hours.
steady (=happening slowly but continuously)
The university has benefited from a steady increase in student numbers.
a threefold/fourfold/fivefold etc increase (=an increase by three, four etc times)
The figures show a threefold increase in incidents of car theft.
a 10%/50% etc increase
A 5% increase in petrol prices is predicted.
an annual increase
The company reported a 10% increase in pre-tax profits.
lead to an increase
They argue that the abolition of the death penalty has led to an increase in the number of murders.
cause/bring about an increase
The heatwave brought about a massive increase in water consumption.
a price increase
We expect a price increase of 1.4% this year.
a fare increase
The airline instituted a 10% fare increase.
a wage/pay/salary increase
Canadian workers received a 5.4% wage increase.
a tax increase
The government had no choice but to impose a tax increase.
be on the increase (=be increasing)
Knife attacks are on the increase.
the rate of increase
The rate of increase in the number of violent crimes is much higher than under the previous government.
growth noun [singular, uncountable] an increase in the number, size, or importance of something. Growth is also used when saying that a company or a country’s economy becomes more successful:
The astonishing growth of the Internet has had a dramatic effect on people’s lives.
Japan experienced a period of rapid economic growth.
Many people are concerned about the enormous growth in the world’s population.
surge noun [countable usually singular] a sudden increase in something such as profits, demand, or interest:
There has been a big surge in demand for organically grown food.
We have seen a tremendous surge of interest in Chinese medicine.
gain noun [uncountable and countable] an increase in the amount or level of something - used especially in business or political contexts, or when talking about an increase in someone’s weight:
sales gains
The December job figures show a net gain of 81,000 jobs.
The party has experienced a gain in popularity.
The amount of weight gain during pregnancy varies.
hike noun [countable] informal especially American English a large or sudden increase in prices or taxes - often used in newspaper reports:
Despite a 25% hike in fuel costs, the airline made a profit last year.
tax hikes
wage hikes
explosion noun [countable] a sudden very large increase in the amount or number of something:
There has been an explosion in the number of fast food restaurants.
The country experienced a population explosion.
The book caused an explosion of interest in Renaissance Italy.
boom noun [singular] a sudden large increase in trade, profits or sales, with the result that a country, company, or industry becomes very successful. Boom is also used about a sudden increase in interest in something, with the result that it becomes very popular:
the German economic boom of the 1960s
the Internet boom
There has been a boom in sales of diet books and videos.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

increase to make something larger in number, amount, or degree:
Being overweight increases the risk of having a heart attack.
We need to increase the number of police officers on the streets.
put something up to increase prices, taxes etc. Put up something is less formal than increase, and is the usual verb to use in everyday English:
The landlord has put the rent up again.
They’re always putting up gas prices.
raise to increase something such as prices or taxes, or levels or standards:
The bank has raised interest rates for the third time this year.
The school aims to raise students’ levels of achievement.
double/triple to increase the amount of something so that it is twice or three times as large:
The airline plans to double the number of passengers it carries by 2015.
High blood pressure triples the risk of strokes.
boost to increase sales, profits, production etc, especially when they have been lower than you want them to be:
Growing affluence has boosted sales.
Oil exports boosted the economy.
expand to increase something so that it contains a wider range of things, or to increase the size of a business:
The company plans to expand its retail operations.
Supermarkets have expanded their ranges to include non-food items.
extend to increase something such as your power or influence, or the number of things you are involved in:
We are hoping to extend the range of services that we offer.
The company plans to extend its dominance of the world car market.
step up something to increase your efforts or activities, especially to change a situation:
Security has been stepped up following the bombing.
Local people have stepped up their campaign to prevent a prison being built in their neighbourhood.
heighten to increase a feeling or effect:
The attack has heightened concerns about racism in schools.
Hunger can heighten the effect that alcohol has on you.
maximize to increase something as much as possible:
Businesses try to maximize efficiency and cut costs.
To maximize the chances of a successful pregnancy, you should make sure that you eat well.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

lift (up) to move something or someone upwards to a higher position, especially something heavy, either by using your hands or a machine:
You shouldn’t lift anything heavy if you have a bad back.
She lifted the lid from a huge pot and took a sniff.
They lifted me onto a stretcher and took me to the ambulance.
He lifted the girl up onto his knee.
They used a crane to lift the carriages back onto the rails.
The massive bull lifted him bodily into the air and shook him repeatedly.
raise to lift something to a higher position for a short time before lowering it again. Raise is more formal than lift:
The bridge can be raised to allow ships to pass under it.
‘Cheers, everyone!’ said Larry, raising his glass.
pick up to lift something up from the ground, from a table etc, especially something small or light:
She picked up her bag and left the room.
Tom picked the papers up off the floor.
Why don’t you just pick up the phone and call him?
Maurin picked up the gun and put it in his pocket.
The lioness picked her cub up by its neck.
There are papers all over the floor – could you pick them up and put them away?
The little girl’s mother laughed and bent down to pick her up.
The vacuum cleaner won’t pick this stuff up.
scoop up to lift someone or something quickly from the ground, from a table etc, using your hand or arm:
She bent down and scooped up the little dog.
hoist to lift up something which is heavy and difficult to carry:
Joe picked up the sack and hoisted it onto the truck.
The crowd hoisted him onto their shoulders and carried him triumphantly down the main street.
elevate technical to lift something to a higher position and keep it there:
The doctor advised me to rest and elevate my ankle.
put your hand up to lift your arm into the air, for example because you want to speak in a class or when voting:
Put your hand up if you know the answer.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

mention to talk or write about something or someone, usually quickly and without saying very much or giving details:
Kate had mentioned his name a few times, but I had not met him before.
Jack mentioned that you might be looking for a new job.
refer to somebody/something to say something about someone or something in a conversation, speech, or piece of writing:
He had earlier referred to difficulties in gathering evidence.
It was not clear which case he was referring to.
touch on something to briefly mention a subject during a speech, lesson, piece of writing etc:
This problem has already been touched on in Chapter 4.
bring something up to start to talk about a particular subject during a conversation or meeting:
I didn’t want to bring up the subject of money.
I knew you’d bring that up!
raise to mention a subject that people should start to discuss or think about. Raise is more formal than bring something up:
He promised to raise the issue with the Prime Minister.
They raised a number of points.
broach to mention a subject that may be embarrassing or upsetting, or that may cause an argument:
I was reluctant to broach the subject of payment.
cite formal to mention something as an example or proof of something else, or as a reason for something:
Hong Kong is often cited as an example of this kind of economic system.
allude to something formal to mention something in a way that is deliberately not direct:
Many of the ancient Greek poets allude to this myth.
make no mention of something
Nelson made no mention of his family; he talked only of his work.
get/receive a mention
This type of research rarely gets a mention in the media.
deserve/merit a mention
The village was large enough to merit a mention in the 11th century Domesday Book.
a brief mention
Dillon makes only a brief mention of the idea in his book.
special/particular mention
Mrs. McMillan deserves particular mention for all her hard work.
a passing mention (=a brief mention when other things seem more important)
There was only a passing mention of the event in the paper.
be worthy of mention (=deserve to be talked about)
This book is particularly worthy of mention for the clarity of its writing.
the mere mention of something (=the fact of saying something that seems unimportant)
The mere mention of his name caused her to burst into tears.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲