I. ral ‧ ly 1 /ˈræli/ BrE AmE noun ( plural rallies ) [countable]
1 . a large public meeting, especially one that is held outdoors to support a political idea, protest etc:
About 1,000 people attended the rally in Hyde Park.
We decided to hold a rally to put pressure on the government.
a mass rally (=large rally) in support of the pay claim
political/election/peace etc rally
He was shot dead while addressing an election rally.
⇨ ↑ pep rally
2 . a car race on public roads:
a rally driver
3 . an occasion when something, especially the value of shares, becomes stronger again after a period of weakness or defeat:
a late rally in the Tokyo stock market
4 . a continuous series of hits of the ball between players in a game such as tennis
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COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ hold/stage a rally
The students had been refused permission to hold their rally in Victory Square.
▪ organize a rally
A rally organized by democratic movements was broken up by soldiers.
▪ attend a rally
About 200 people braved the weather to attend the rally.
▪ address a rally (=speak to the crowd at a rally)
The next evening he addressed a large anti-government rally.
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + rally
▪ a large/huge/massive rally
Several large rallies were held in December.
▪ a mass rally (=a large rally)
a mass rally of striking dockers
▪ a political rally
Her parents were often away attending political rallies.
▪ an election rally
The senator was due to address an election rally that evening.
▪ a campaign rally (=a rally to support someone who is competing in an election)
She will attend four campaign rallies in the state before returning to Washington.
▪ a protest rally
Minor clashes between police and demonstrators occurred during a protest rally.
▪ a peace rally
CND are organising a massive Peace Rally on the second Sunday in July.
▪ an anti-government/anti-war etc rally
The peace groups made plans to hold an anti-war rally.
▪ a pro-democracy/pro-independence etc rally
Thousands joined a pro-democracy rally in the city.
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THESAURUS
▪ meeting an occasion when people meet in order to discuss something:
a business meeting.
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Mr Bell is in a meeting.
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The committee will hold another meeting Wednesday.
▪ conference an organized event, especially one that continues for several days, at which a lot of people meet to discuss a particular subject and hear speeches about it:
Didn’t you give a talk at the conference last year?
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a conference of women business leaders
▪ convention a large formal meeting of people who belong to a political party, or to an organization of people with the same interests:
the Democratic Party Convention
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a convention for Star Trek fans
▪ rally a large public meeting, especially one that is held outdoors to support or protest about something:
There was a massive peace rally in London.
▪ summit a meeting between government leaders from important and powerful countries, to discuss important matters:
A summit meeting of OPEC leaders was called to find a solution to the oil crisis.
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next week’s economic summit
▪ caucus American English a local meeting of the members of a political party to choose people to represent them at a larger meeting, or to choose a candidate in an election:
Obama won the Iowa caucus in 2007.
▪ teleconference/video conference a business meeting in which people in different places talk to each other using telephones or video equipment:
The chairman held teleconferences with his senior managers.
▪ gathering/get-together a situation in which a group of people come together to meet, talk, and have drinks with each other, especially friends or family:
We held a small family get-together to celebrate her birthday.
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She arranged social gatherings in Kettering for young people on Saturday evenings.
▪ date an arrangement to meet someone who you are having, or hoping to have, a romantic relationship with:
I think I might ask her out on a date.
▪ rendezvous a meeting where two people have arranged to meet at a particular time or place, often secretly:
She arranged a rendezvous with him in the hotel bar.
▪ tryst literary a secret meeting between people who are having a romantic relationship:
a good place for a moonlight tryst
II. rally 2 BrE AmE verb ( past tense and past participle rallied , present participle rallying , third person singular rallies )
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Language: French ; Origin: rallier 'to reunite' , from Old French alier ; ⇨ ↑ ally 2 ]
1 . [intransitive and transitive] to come together, or to bring people together, to support an idea, a political party etc
rally to
Fellow Republicans rallied to the President’s defense.
rally to do something
Surely the local business community could have rallied to raise the cash.
an attempt to rally support for the party
2 . [intransitive] to become stronger again after a period of weakness or defeat ⇨ recover :
After a shaky start, he rallied and won the title in style.
The Tokyo stock market rallied later in the day.
rally around (somebody) ( also rally round (somebody) British English ) phrasal verb informal
if a group of people rally round, they all try to help you when you are in a difficult situation:
Her friends all rallied round when she was ill.