2.21.2008

Arise & rise / Arouse & rouse

Arise means 'begin', 'appear', 'come to one's notice'. It is used mostly with abstract nouns as subjects.

A discussion arose about the best way to pay.

I'm afraid a difficulty has arisen. Rise usually means 'get higher', 'come/go up'.

Prices keep rising.

What time does the sun rise?

My hopes are rising. Note that we usually say that people get up in the morning. Rise is only used with this meaning in a very formal style.

Arise and rise are irregular verbs.

(a) rise - (a) rose - (a) risen

arouse and rouse

To rouse somebody is to wake them up, make them interested, make them excited etc.

It is extremely difficult to rouse my father in the mornings. (In an informal style, ...to wake my father up... would be much more natural.)

Professor Bognor's speech failed to rouse his audience. Arouse is often used with an abstract word as an object: you can arouse somebody's interest, suspicions, sympathy etc.

When he kept saying he was working late at the office, it began to arouse her suspicions. Arouse can be used in a sexual sense.

Most men are aroused by pictures of naked women. Arouse and rouse are both regular verbs.

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