verb · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:[ɹɪˈhɜːs]
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:/ɹɪˈhɝs/
CMU ARPABET:R IY0 HH ER1 S
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
verb
Meaning 1
To repeat, as what has been already said; to tell over again; to recite.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
There’s no need to rehearse the same old argument; we’ve heard it before, and we all agree.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
To narrate; to relate; to tell; to recount.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
The witness rehearsed the events of the night before for the listening detectives.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To practise by recitation or repetition in private for experiment and improvement, prior to a public representation, especially in theater.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: ambitransitive
Examples
The main actors spent on average two hours a day rehearsing before the first night.
The lawyer advised her client to rehearse her testimony before the trial date.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
To cause to rehearse; to instruct by rehearsal.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, theater
Examples
The director rehearsed the cast incessantly in the days leading up to opening night, and as a result they were tired and cranky when it arrived.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
verb
Meaning 5
To contrive and carefully prepare (a story, etc.) to offer consistency.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
The Crown argued that the accused had rehearsed her story.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
verb
Meaning 6
engage in a rehearsal (of)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: practise, practice
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: perform, execute, do
Narrower terms: walk through, scrimmage
History
Etymology
From Middle English rehersen, from Anglo-Norman reherser (“to repeat word-for-word”).
Across languages
Translations
59 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
повтарям
(povtarjam)
— repeat what has already been said
Catalan:
reproduir
— repeat what has already been said
Chinese Mandarin:
重复
(chóngfù)
— repeat what has already been said
Dutch:
herhalen
— repeat what has already been said
Esperanto:
gurdi
— repeat what has already been said
Finnish:
toistaa
— repeat what has already been said
Finnish:
kerrata
— repeat what has already been said
French:
rabâcher
— repeat what has already been said
French:
ressasser
— repeat what has already been said
German:
wiederholen
— repeat what has already been said
Greek:
ξαναλέω
(xanaléo)
— repeat what has already been said
Hebrew:
חזרה
— repeat what has already been said
Hungarian:
ismétel
— repeat what has already been said
Italian:
ripetere
— repeat what has already been said
Persian:
تکرار کردن
(tekrâr kardan)
— repeat what has already been said
Polish:
powtarzać
— repeat what has already been said
Portuguese:
repetir
— repeat what has already been said
Russian:
твердить
(tverditʹ)
— repeat what has already been said
Spanish:
repetir
— repeat what has already been said
Bulgarian:
разказвам
(razkazvam)
— narrate or tell
Dutch:
vertellen
— narrate or tell
German:
erzählen
— narrate or tell
Greek:
αφηγούμαι
(afigoúmai)
— narrate or tell
Hungarian:
elmesél
— narrate or tell
Italian:
ripetere
— narrate or tell
Italian:
raccontare
— narrate or tell
Portuguese:
contar
— narrate or tell
Russian:
излагать
(izlagatʹ)
— narrate or tell
Spanish:
contar
— narrate or tell
Bulgarian:
репетирам
(repetiram)
— practice by repetition or recitation
Catalan:
assajar
— practice by repetition or recitation
Chinese Mandarin:
排練 /排练
(páiliàn)
— practice by repetition or recitation
Czech:
zkoušet
— practice by repetition or recitation
Dutch:
inoefenen
— practice by repetition or recitation
Dutch:
repeteren
— practice by repetition or recitation
Finnish:
harjoitella
— practice by repetition or recitation
French:
répéter
— practice by repetition or recitation
German:
üben
— practice by repetition or recitation
German:
proben
— practice by repetition or recitation
Hungarian:
ismétel
— practice by repetition or recitation
Hungarian:
felmond
— practice by repetition or recitation
Hungarian:
elpróbál
— practice by repetition or recitation
Italian:
ripetere
— practice by repetition or recitation
Italian:
ripassare
— practice by repetition or recitation
Italian:
provare
— practice by repetition or recitation
Malayalam:
പരിശീലിക്കുക
(pariśīlikkuka)
— practice by repetition or recitation
Māori:
whakaharatau
— practice by repetition or recitation
Portuguese:
ensaiar
— practice by repetition or recitation
Russian:
репети́ровать
(repetírovatʹ)
— practice by repetition or recitation
Lower Sorbian:
probowaś
— practice by repetition or recitation
Spanish:
practicar
— practice by repetition or recitation
Spanish:
ensayar
— practice by repetition or recitation
Spanish:
emprimar (disused)
— practice by repetition or recitation
Swedish:
repetera
— practice by repetition or recitation
Swedish:
repa
— practice by repetition or recitation
Ukrainian:
репети́рувати
(repetýruvaty)
— practice by repetition or recitation
Vietnamese:
tập dượt
— practice by repetition or recitation
Dutch:
doen repeteren
— to cause rehearse or instruct by rehearsal
Russian:
репети́ровать
(repetírovatʹ)
— to cause rehearse or instruct by rehearsal
