rear
1 Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
-
to rise on the hind legs, as a horse or other animal.
-
(of a person) to start up in angry excitement, hot resentment, or the like (usually followed byup ).
-
to rise high or tower aloft.
The skyscraper rears high over the neighboring buildings.
idioms
noun
-
the back or hind part
-
the area or position that lies at the back
a garden at the rear of the house
-
the section of a military force or procession farthest from the front
-
the buttocks See buttock
-
to be at the back in a procession, race, etc
-
at the back
-
(modifier) of or in the rear
the rear legs
the rear side
verb
-
(tr) to care for and educate (children) until maturity; bring up; raise
-
(tr) to breed (animals) or grow (plants)
-
(tr) to place or lift (a ladder, etc) upright
-
(tr) to erect (a monument, building, etc); put up
-
(esp of horses) to lift the front legs in the air and stand nearly upright
-
(intr; often foll by up or over) (esp of tall buildings) to rise high; tower
-
(intr) to start with anger, resentment, etc
Commonly Confused
See raise.
Synonym Usage
See back 1.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
has rearedperfect 3rd person singular
-
have rearedperfect
-
are rearingprogressive
-
have been rearingperfect progressive
-
am rearingprogressive 1st person singular
-
has been rearingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
rearssingular 3rd person
-
rearingparticiple
-
is rearingprogressive 3rd person singular
Past
-
had rearedperfect
-
was rearingprogressive singular
-
had been rearingperfect progressive
-
rearedparticiple
-
were rearingprogressive plural
-
rearedsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of rear1
First recorded in 1590–1600; shortened variant of arrear
Origin of rear2
First recorded before 900; Middle English reren, ræren, reare, Old English rǣran “to raise ”; cognate with Gothic -raisjan, Old Norse reisa
Explanation
The rear is the back end of something, like the rear of a school bus or the members of the marching band who stand at the rear of the parade. At the other end of something's front is its rear, whether it's a car or a line of people standing outside a theater. You can also use rear informally to mean "bottom" or "hindquarters," as an adjective meaning "toward the back," or as a verb: "The horses started to rear up on their back legs." The verb comes from a Germanic root meaning "to raise," while the noun is rooted in the Latin retro, "behind."
Vocabulary lists containing rear
Mother's Day Words: What Mothers Do
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Tribute to the Dog," Vocabulary from the speech
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Spoon River Anthology
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As a busy user of the cargo hold, I fell in love with the power-folding rear seats and hands-free tailgate function.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 6, 2026
The rear flicked sideways as he went over the crest at the start of the braking point, and as he corrected, the car fishtailed, sending the front towards the barriers.
From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026
“Can I just not be a really good horse trainer that did something really profound and amazing in a short amount of time after I had to work my rear end off for it?”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026
Bringing up the insurgent rear is Spencer Pratt, a one-time reality TV villain whose house burned down in the devastating fires.
From Barron's • Jun. 2, 2026
Then we had one rear wheel down in the ditch, and the wagon hung at a steep angle.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
