soar /sɔː $ sɔːr/ BrE AmE verb [intransitive]
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: essorer , from Vulgar Latin exaurare , from Latin aura 'air' ]
1 . AMOUNTS/PRICES ETC to increase quickly to a high level OPP plummet :
Her temperature soared.
The price of petrol has soared in recent weeks.
soaring unemployment
2 . IN THE SKY
a) to fly, especially very high up in the sky, floating on air currents:
She watched the dove soar above the chestnut trees.
b) to go quickly upwards to a great height:
The ball soared to left field.
3 . SPIRITS/HOPES if your ↑ spirit s (=the way you are feeling, for example happy, sad etc) or hopes soar, you begin to feel very happy or hopeful OPP sink :
Adam’s smile sent her spirits soaring.
4 . LOOK TALL [not in progressive] if buildings, trees, towers etc soar, they look very tall and impressive SYN tower :
Here the cliffs soar a hundred feet above the sea.
a soaring skyscraper
• • •
THESAURUS
■ to increase
▪ increase to become larger in number, amount, or degree:
Sales increased by 25%.
|
The level of violence has increased.
▪ go up to increase. Go up is less formal than increase , and is the usual verb to use in everyday English:
The price of coffee has gone up.
▪ rise to increase. Rise sounds a little formal and is often used when talking about the level of something increasing:
The demand for oil has been rising steadily.
|
Living standards have risen dramatically.
▪ grow to increase, especially gradually over a period of time – used about numbers or amounts:
Since 1990, US imports of foreign goods have grown at a rate of 7.7% per year.
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The number of people working from home has grown substantially.
▪ escalate to increase to a high level – used about things that you do not want to increase such as costs, crimes, or violence:
Fuel prices are escalating.
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The fighting has escalated.
▪ double/triple to become twice as much or three times as much:
Since 1950, the number of people dying from cancer has almost doubled.
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The company’s profits tripled last quarter.
▪ expand to become larger in size, or to include a wider range of activities:
The business has expanded at a rate of 15% per year.
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We are hoping to expand into mobile phone services.
▪ soar to increase and reach a very high level – used about numbers and amounts, or about feelings:
The temperature soared to 36.6 degrees centigrade.
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His confidence soared.
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The singer’s popularity has soared.
▪ shoot up to increase very quickly and suddenly – used about prices, numbers, or temperatures:
Share prices shot up 30% over the last week.