rear

1.adjectiveB1

Definition

located at or forming the back part of an object, building, or vehicle, opposite the front side.

Example

Heather opened the rear door of the car to let her dog jump out.

attributive use before noun: rear + door / entrance / window

The rear entrance of the school is reserved for staff members only.

Common collocations

rear door
rear entrance
rear window
rear seat
rear wheel
rear wall

Synonyms

back
less formal and more common in everyday speech; 'rear' is slightly more formal or technical

Antonyms

front
opposite position

Grammar Patterns

rear + noun

Usage Note

This adjective is only used before a noun — you cannot say "the door is rear."

Common Mistakes

The garden is behind the rear of the house' (using "rear" as a noun when an adjective fits better).

The garden is behind the rear wall of the house.

Use the adjective form directly before the noun when you mean 'at the back.'

1.nounB1

Definition

the part of an object, building, vehicle, or space that is farthest from the front or from the observer.

Example

Tariq loaded his bicycle into the rear of the van before the trip.

preposition pattern: 'in the rear of [vehicle]'

During the fire drill, everyone moved quickly toward the rear of the building.

Common collocations

at the rear
to the rear
in the rear
toward the rear
rear of the building
rear of the vehicle

Synonyms

back
less formal; 'back' is preferred in casual conversation
tail end
informal; emphasizes the very end of something

Antonyms

front
the forward-facing part

Grammar Patterns

the rear of [noun]

Usage Note

This is the most common noun sense. Use 'at the rear' for a fixed position and 'to the rear' for direction of movement.

Common Mistakes

He sat on the rear of the car' (sounds like the outside back).

He sat in the rear of the car.

Use 'in' for inside a vehicle and 'on' for a bike or motorcycle.

2.nounB2

Definition

the part of a person's body that they sit on; a polite or humorous word for the buttocks.

Example

Hyun slipped on the wet floor and landed hard on his rear.

informal register: 'land on one's rear'

The toddler fell backward and sat on her rear with a surprised expression.

Common collocations

land on one's rear
fall on one's rear
sit on one's rear

Synonyms

bottom
the most common neutral word; slightly more polite than 'rear'
buttocks
formal and clinical term
behind
polite, slightly old-fashioned

Grammar Patterns

possessive + rear

Usage Note

This sense is less direct than 'bottom' and slightly more polite than 'butt.' It is commonly used in humorous or mildly embarrassed contexts. Avoid in formal medical writing — use 'buttocks' instead.

Common Mistakes

The doctor examined his rear' in a clinical setting.

The doctor examined his buttocks.

'rear' is too informal for medical contexts.

1.verbtransitiveB2

Definition

to feed, protect, and guide a child or young animal through the stages of growth until it becomes independent.

Example

The farmer has reared sheep on this hillside for more than thirty years.

transitive: rear + animal (agricultural context)

After her sister's death, Beatriz took on the task of rearing her two young nieces.

Common collocations

rear children
rear cattle
rear livestock
rear a family
be reared in

Synonyms

raise
less formal; the most common modern equivalent for both children and animals
bring up
informal; used only for children, not animals
nurture
more emotional; focuses on care and development

Grammar Patterns

rear + child / animal

Usage Note

This verb is more formal than 'raise' and less common than 'bring up' in everyday conversation. In modern British English, 'raise' or 'bring up' are preferred for children; 'rear' is still common for livestock.

Common Mistakes

I reared in a small town' (missing object).

I was reared in a small town' or 'My grandparents reared me in a small town.

This verb is transitive and needs an object, or you must use the passive voice.

2.verbintransitiveC1

Definition

When an animal lifts the front of its body so it stands on its back legs; or when a tall structure such as a building rises high above nearby objects.

Example

The horse suddenly reared up when it heard the loud explosion behind the fence.

intransitive: 'rear up' of a horse (most common use)

Inês's horse reared back in fright when a snake slithered across the trail.

Common collocations

rear up
rear back
rear above

Synonyms

rise up
less specific; can describe anything moving upward
tower
used for buildings and mountains; conveys height and dominance

Antonyms

lower
to move downward
sink
to descend gradually

Grammar Patterns

rear up

rear + adverb/preposition

Usage Note

Used with animals (especially horses), this sense is also found in literary descriptions of tall buildings or mountains. The phrasal verb 'rear up' is the most common form. The transitive use ('rear something up') is very rare in modern English.

Word family

rearmost
adjectiveC1
rearward
adjectiveC1
rearward
adverbC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

'Raise' is the most general and common word for caring for children or animals until they are grown — it fits both everyday and formal contexts, e.g., 'She raised three children on her own.' 'Bring up' is more informal and used only for children (not animals), with a focus on the values and upbringing provided, e.g., 'They brought their kids up to be honest.' 'Rear' is more formal than 'raise' and is more common in writing than speech; in British English it is frequently used for livestock ('rear cattle') but is somewhat old-fashioned for children. 'Nurture' is more emotional and less practical, emphasizing tender care and development, e.g., 'Teachers nurture a child's curiosity.' Choose 'raise' for neutral everyday use, 'rear' for formal or agricultural contexts, and 'nurture' when highlighting emotional support rather than physical care.

raise ↗bring up ↗nurture ↗rear ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

rear door
rear entrance
rear window
rear seat
rear wheel
rear wall
rear end

Adverbs

at the rear
to the rear
from the rear

Phrases

bring up the rear
rear of the house
rear of the building

Prepositions

in the rear of
at the rear of
toward the rear

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishEnglishLatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'rear' has two separate origins that came together in English. The verb meaning 'to raise or bring up' comes from Old English 'ræran' (to raise, lift up, build), which traces back to Proto-Germanic '*raizijaną' (to cause to rise). The noun and adjective meaning 'the back part' come from Old French 'riere' (behind), which came from Latin 'retro' (backward, behind). By the 1600s, both strands were established in English, with the 'back' sense gradually overtaking the 'raise' sense in everyday use.

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rear

rear — adjective

1. located at or forming the back part of an object, building, or vehicle, opposite

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

rear — noun

1. the part of an object, building, vehicle, or space that is farthest from the fro

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

2. the part of a person's body that they sit on; a polite or humorous word for the

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

rear — verb

1. to feed, protect, and guide a child or young animal through the stages of growth

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

2. When an animal lifts the front of its body so it stands on its back legs; or whe

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

rear — adverb

1. in a direction that goes to or comes from the back part of a space, vehicle, or

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

Word family

Synonym discussion

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

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