rear
/rɪə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /rɪr/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈrir transitive sense 4 & intransitive sense 2 are also ˈrer/ (ame, mw) · /rɪər/ (bre, ipa)
rear — adjective
- rearpositive
- rearercomparative
- rearestsuperlative
1. located at or forming the back part of an object, building, or vehicle, opposite
located at or forming the back part of an object, building, or vehicle, opposite the front side.
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.
Beatriz chose a seat by the rear window so she could watch the sunset.
A small herb garden grows just behind the rear wall of the cottage.
- back
less formal and more common in everyday speech; 'rear' is slightly more formal or technical
- front
opposite position
文法句型
rear + noun
用法筆記
This adjective is only used before a noun — you cannot say "the door is rear."
常見錯誤
rear — noun
- rearsingular
- rearsplural
1. the part of an object, building, vehicle, or space that is farthest from the fro
the part of an object, building, vehicle, or space that is farthest from the front or from the observer.
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.
The rear of the garden is shaded by three large oak trees.
Apinya found her missing earring at the rear of the top drawer.
- front
the forward-facing part
文法句型
the rear of [noun]
用法筆記
This is the most common noun sense. Use 'at the rear' for a fixed position and 'to the rear' for direction of movement.
常見錯誤
2. the part of a person's body that they sit on; a polite or humorous word for the
the part of a person's body that they sit on; a polite or humorous word for the buttocks.
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.
Heather joked that after six hours in the car her rear had gone completely numb.
Zola slipped on the icy step and bruised her rear quite badly.
文法句型
possessive + rear
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
rear — verb
- rearpresent simple I / you / we / they
- rears3rd person singular
- rearing-ing form
- rearedpast simple
1. to feed, protect, and guide a child or young animal through the stages of growth
to feed, protect, and guide a child or young animal through the stages of growth until it becomes independent.
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.
Sahil's grandparents reared him in a small fishing village near the coast.
Ritu reared a Golden Retriever puppy in her small yard, training it with patience and a fixed daily routine.
文法句型
rear + child / animal
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
2. When an animal lifts the front of its body so it stands on its back legs; or whe
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.
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.
The old cathedral reared above the village rooftops like a stone giant.
The stallion reared and threw its rider onto the dusty ground.
文法句型
rear up
rear + adverb/preposition
用法筆記
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.
rear — adverb
1. in a direction that goes to or comes from the back part of a space, vehicle, or
in a direction that goes to or comes from the back part of a space, vehicle, or formation.
The bus driver asked the standing passengers to move rear to let more people board.
direction adverb: 'move rear'
At the drill sergeant's command the soldiers faced rear and began marching south.
military context: 'face rear'
Gabriela glanced rear to check whether the car behind was following too closely.
The tour guide told us to look rear and admire the view of the old castle.
- forward
toward the front
文法句型
move rear
face rear
用法筆記
This adverb is uncommon in modern English. In everyday speech, people usually say 'backward' or 'to the back' instead. It survives mainly in military commands and formal written instructions.