soar

soar — verb

1. to increase extremely fast in amount, level, or value — for example, prices soar

1.verbintransitiveB2
Definition

to increase extremely fast in amount, level, or value — for example, prices soaring, temperatures soaring, or profits soaring well beyond normal levels.

Example

The price of petrol soared past five dollars a litre last summer.

soar + past + price amount

Food prices in Diego's region soared by nearly a third during the drought.

soar + by + percentage + during + event

Common collocations
  • prices soar
  • costs soar
  • temperatures soar
  • demand soars
  • profits soar
  • soar by
  • soar to
  • soar past
Synonyms
  • surge

    implies a sudden strong increase, often temporary

  • rocket

    suggests even more dramatic, explosive speed

  • skyrocket

    informal; very rapid and extreme increase

  • climb

    more gradual and steady upward movement

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

soar + (by/to/past) + number/amount

soar + adverb of degree

Usage Note

Typically used for rapid increases in prices, temperatures, numbers, or levels. Often followed by a specific amount or percentage — e.g. 'soar by 20%', 'soar to a record high'. The subject is almost always an impersonal quantity (price, demand, temperature), not a person.

Common Mistakes

The prices soared up to high levels.
The prices soared to high levels.
Soar already implies upward movement, so 'up' is redundant.
The company's share soar last month.
The company's shares soared last month.
Soar needs a past-tense or conjugated form, not the bare infinitive.

2. to stand or extend far above the surrounding area — used for tall buildings, mou

2.verbintransitiveB2
Definition

to stand or extend far above the surrounding area — used for tall buildings, mountains, cliffs, or trees that reach an impressive height.

Example

The new skyscraper soars six hundred metres above the city streets.

soar + measurement + above + location

Ancient redwood trees soar above the forest floor along the northern coast.

Common collocations
  • soar above
  • soar into
  • soar over
  • soar to a height
Synonyms
  • tower

    emphasises standing above everything around; implies dominance

  • rise

    general word for upward extent; less dramatic

Grammar Patterns

soar + (above/into/over) + location

soar + measurement + above + location

Usage Note

Subject is typically a natural feature (mountain, cliff, tree) or a tall man-made structure (skyscraper, tower, spire). Often used with 'above', 'into', or 'over' to specify what the object rises above. Not used for people or small objects.

Common Mistakes

The building soars up high.
The building soars above the city.
Specify what the structure dominates rather than using redundant 'up high'.

3. to rise through the air in a steady, floating motion — used for birds that stay

3.verbintransitiveB1
Definition

to rise through the air in a steady, floating motion — used for birds that stay aloft without flapping, or for aircraft gliding without engine power.

Example

An eagle soared high above the valley, searching for its next meal.

The small glider soared over the green hills without making any sound.

glider + soars + over + location

Common collocations
  • soar above
  • soar over
  • soar through
  • soar on the wind
  • soar in circles
  • soar high
Synonyms
  • glide

    emphasises smooth motion with little energy; can be descending

  • hover

    staying in one place in the air, not moving forward

  • fly

    general word; does not suggest effortless height

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

soar + (above/over/through) + location

soar + in/on + (thermal/air current)

Usage Note

Describes smooth, effortless flight — birds riding thermal air currents or aircraft without engines (gliders). Not used for flapping flight (a sparrow fluttering) or powered engine flight (a jet taking off). The sense emphasises grace and height rather than effort.

Common Mistakes

The bird soared up in the sky.
The bird soared high in the sky.
Use 'high' to describe the altitude rather than 'up', which is redundant because 'soar' already means upward movement.

4. to perform at an outstandingly high level, showing great skill, emotional power,

4.verbintransitiveC1
Definition

to perform at an outstandingly high level, showing great skill, emotional power, or creative brilliance — used for artists, athletes, musicians, or their performances.

Example

The young pianist soared in the second movement, leaving the audience breathless.

pianist + soars + in + [musical context]

Gabriel's voice soared through the concert hall, rich and full of raw emotion.

Common collocations
  • voice soars
  • performance soars
  • spirits soar
  • soar to new heights
  • dancer soars
  • singer soars
Synonyms
  • shine

    similar, but can be used in broader everyday contexts

  • excel

    more formal; used in general achievement contexts

  • transcend

    suggests going beyond normal limits into an exceptional realm

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

soar + (in/through/during) + context

[voice/performance/spirit] + soars

Usage Note

Used specifically for artistic or athletic performances that reach a clearly superior level. Not used in everyday conversation about ordinary tasks ('soar at cooking'). Often found in reviews, criticism, and descriptive accounts of performances. The subject can be the performer or the performance itself.

Common Mistakes

His cooking skills soared.
His cooking reached a new level.
Soar is not used for everyday skills; it implies artistic or dramatic excellence.

soar — noun

Word family

  • soaring
    adjectiveB2
  • soaring
    adverb (soaringly)C1
  • soarer
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words describe upward movement in amount or level, but they differ in speed and intensity. 'Rise' is the most general and neutral — it simply means to go up, at any speed ('The temperature rose by two degrees'). 'Surge' suggests a sudden, strong increase that often does not last long ('Profits surged in December due to holiday sales'). 'Rocket' implies extremely fast, explosive upward movement, as if being launched ('House prices have rocketed since last year'). 'Skyrocket' is an informal synonym for rocket, common in everyday speech ('My heart rate skyrocketed when I saw the bill'). 'Soar' sits between 'rise' and 'rocket' — it suggests a steady but fast climb to a high level without the explosive connotation of 'rocket.' Use 'soar' when you want to emphasise how high something went rather than just how fast. For example: 'Temperatures soared to forty degrees' (emphasising the extreme level reached) versus 'Temperatures rocketed to forty degrees' (emphasising the shocking speed of the change).

rise ↗surge ↗rocket ↗skyrocket

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • soar to new heights
  • soar into the sky
  • soar above the rest
  • soar past expectations

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinVulgar LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

From Middle English 'soren', borrowed from Old French 'sorer' (to fly upward, hover), which came from Vulgar Latin 'exaurare' (to rise into the air), built from Latin 'ex-' (out of, from) and 'aura' (air, breeze). The original meaning was about birds riding thermal air currents. The figurative senses — prices soaring, spirits soaring, performances soaring — developed gradually from the 1600s onward, with the financial sense becoming especially common in the 19th and 20th centuries.