I. raise 1 S1 W1 /reɪz/ BrE AmE 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 OPP 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 SYN 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 OPP 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 OPP 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 SYN 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 ↑ eyebrow s 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 SYN 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 SYN 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.
II. raise 2 BrE AmE noun [countable]
American English an increase in the money you earn SYN rise British English