September 9, 2011 - Word of the Day: rise

When something rises, it goes up. Because this word is often used as an irregular verb, it's important to see what it looks like in the simple form, the past tense, and the past participle:

rise / rose / risen

• What time did the sun rise this morning?
• The sun rose at about 7 o'clock this morning.
• Nguyen's chances of getting a job have risen now that her English has improved.
• The value of gold is rising.
• Gas prices aren't rising any more. Now they seem to be going down.
• The dough for the bread needs to rise for a couple of hours before it goes into the oven.
• After the storm, water levels in the river rose very quickly, flooding the towns nearby.

The word "rise" is similar to "raise," but you can't use the two words in exactly the same way.

When the sun goes up, it rises. When the sun goes down, it sets.

The sun rises in the east. It sets in the west.

Word of the Day for September 8, 2011: see

Word of the Day: August 2011

Word of the Day: July 2011