noun B2 Upper-Intermediate Common

rally

RA-lee

Rally (noun) means a large public gathering held to show support for a cause, person, or team. Example: “Thousands attended the political rally downtown.”

noun

A large public gathering held to show support for a cause, person, or team.

"Thousands attended the political rally downtown."

"Fans held a rally outside the stadium before the final."

A recovery in prices, values, or performance after a decline.

"Stocks staged a rally after the disappointing morning session."

A sequence of shots exchanged between players before a point is won, as in tennis.

"The two players fought through a twenty-stroke rally."

verb

To come together again, especially after being scattered or discouraged, in order to make a united effort.

"The team rallied in the final quarter to snatch the win."

"Supporters rallied around the injured player's family."

How to Use Rally

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo come back together and regroup, a gathering in support of something, or a recovery after a drop.

Common pairings

hold a rally stage a rally rally support market rally

Word Forms

rallied past tense, rallied past tense, rallies plural, rallies singular, rallies singular

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Thousands attended the political _____ downtown.

Etymology

From French rallier, from Old French ralier, made up of re- ("again") and allier ("to ally") — literally "to bind together again".

Origin: Old French

Synonyms

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demonstration gathering assembly march rebound recovery

Related Words

group party process march production event meeting walk

Rhymes for rally

ally bally sally Wally dally tally pally really locally usually equally finally

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does “rally” mean?

The word “rally” means a large public gathering held to show support for a cause, person, or team. In plain terms, to come back together and regroup, a gathering in support of something, or a recovery after a drop.

How do you pronounce “rally”?

“Rally” is pronounced RA-lee (/ˈɹæli/ in IPA).

How do you use “rally” in a sentence?

Here is “rally” used in a sentence: “Thousands attended the political rally downtown.”

What part of speech is “rally”?

Depending on how it is used, “rally” can be a noun and a verb.

Where does the word “rally” come from?

The word “rally” comes from Old French. From French rallier, from Old French ralier, made up of re- ("again") and allier ("to ally") — literally "to bind together again".

Is “rally” a common word?

“Rally” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

How many meanings does “rally” have?

“Rally” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a large public gathering held to show support for a cause, person, or team.

What is the difference between a rally and a protest?

A rally is a large public gathering held to show support for a cause, person, or team, so its tone is usually positive and unifying. A protest is held to object to something, so it expresses opposition rather than support.

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