rally

1 of 3

verb (1)

ral·​ly ˈra-lē How to pronounce rally (audio)
rallied; rallying

transitive verb

1
a
: to muster for a common purpose
b
: to recall to order
2
a
: to arouse for action
b
: to rouse from depression or weakness

intransitive verb

1
: to come together again to renew an effort
2
: to join in a common cause
3
: recover, rebound
rallied briefly from his illness
4
: to engage in a rally

rally

2 of 3

noun

plural rallies
1
a
: a mustering of scattered forces to renew an effort
b
: a summoning up of strength or courage after weakness or dejection
c
: a recovery of price after a decline
d
: a renewed offensive
2
: a mass meeting intended to arouse group enthusiasm
3
: a series of shots interchanged between players (as in tennis) before a point is won
4
or less commonly rallye [French rallye, from English rally entry 1] : an automobile competition using public roads and ordinary traffic rules with the object of maintaining a specified average speed between checkpoints over a route unknown to the participants until the start of the event

rally

3 of 3

verb (2)

rallied; rallying

transitive verb

: to attack with raillery : banter

Examples of rally in a Sentence

Verb (1) rallied the Red Cross workers to deal with the devastating earthquake despite the best care that medicine could provide, the elderly woman never really rallied from her fractured hip after wavering a moment on the balance beam, she quickly rallied and finished with a fine dismount Noun Supporters held a rally for the candidate. Protesters staged an antiwar rally. Stock prices are up after the dollar's rally yesterday. Verb (2) his friends rallied him for missing an easy putt
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
In October, Trump’s team asked the Federal Election Commission to investigate after a senior Labour figure posted a rallying cry for current and former staffers to travel to battleground states and campaign for Harris. Hannah Peart, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024 The leader in the sector, Club name DuPont , was rallying more than 6% after a strong earnings report and raised guide as well as a narrowed timeline of its breakup into three companies. Jeff Marks, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
Related Articles Clippers find something in reserve, rally past Spurs for 1st Intuit Dome win There are issues aplenty in Clippers’ rough six-game start Can James Harden carry these Clippers at 35? Janis Carr, Orange County Register, 6 Nov. 2024 All those celebrity endorsements and rally performances couldn’t get Kamala Harris elected. Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for rally 

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

French rallier, from Old French ralier, from re- + alier to unite — more at ally

Verb (2)

French railler to mock, rally — more at rail

First Known Use

Verb (1)

1599, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

1646, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (2)

1668, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rally was in 1599

Dictionary Entries Near rally

Cite this Entry

“Rally.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rally. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

rally

1 of 3 verb
ral·​ly ˈral-ē How to pronounce rally (audio)
rallied; rallying
1
a
: to bring or come together for a common purpose
rallied to the cause
b
: to bring back to order
rallied the retreating troops
2
: to rouse from low spirits or weakness
the patient rallied
3
: to make a comeback
the team rallied in the fourth quarter
stock prices rallied at the close of trading

rally

2 of 3 noun
plural rallies
1
: the action of rallying
2
: a big meeting intended to arouse enthusiasm
3
: a series of shots hit back and forth between players (as in tennis) before a point is won

rally

3 of 3 verb
rallied; rallying
: to tease in a good-natured way
Etymology

Verb

from French rallier "to call or come together for a common purpose," from early French ralier (same meaning), from re- "again, back" and alier "to unite"

Verb

from French railler "to mock, tease," from early French railler (same meaning) — related to rail entry 4

More from Merriam-Webster on rally

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