# arrive

/ɝˈaɪv/ (US) · /ɐɹˈaɪv/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/arrive
Updated: 2026-05-02

## Senses

### 1. to reach a place

verb · CEFR A1

to reach a place at the end of a journey.

For teachers: to reach a destination at the conclusion of a journey or movement.

- The train should arrive at the platform in ten minutes.
- Despite the heavy snowfall and several mechanical delays, the delegation finally arrived at the embassy just before the gala commenced.

### 2. to become successful

verb · CEFR B2

to finally achieve success or become famous.

For teachers: to achieve a position of success, fame, or social status.

- After years of hard work, she felt she had finally arrived in the fashion world.
- With his latest exhibition receiving critical acclaim in Paris, the young sculptor felt he had truly arrived on the international art scene.

### 3. to happen or come

verb · CEFR B1

to happen or start, especially when talking about a time or an event.

For teachers: to occur or come into existence; used of time, seasons, or anticipated events.

- Spring has finally arrived after a very long and cold winter.
- The moment of truth had arrived, and the researchers prepared to reveal the results of their decade-long study to the public.

### 4. sexual climax

verb · CEFR C2 · Slang · Vulgar · British English

to reach the peak of sexual pleasure.

For teachers: to achieve a sexual orgasm.

- The scene in the adult movie showed the couple arriving at the same time.
- The author used the euphemism 'arriving' to describe the character's climax in the erotic novel.

Teaching tip: This sense is highly informal and potentially offensive; learners should be aware of it to avoid accidental misuse in polite company.

## Examples

- The train will arrive at the station soon.
- We were worried about the traffic, but we managed to arrive at the airport just in time for our flight.
- Although the guest of honor was scheduled to appear at eight, she did not arrive until the gala was well underway, causing a brief stir among the waiting photographers.

## Pitfalls

- Not "arrive to London" but "arrive in London" — Learners often use 'to' because of the movement involved, but 'arrive' requires 'in' for cities/countries or 'at' for specific buildings.

## Usage notes

- Intransitive verb; requires the preposition 'at' for specific locations or 'in' for cities and countries.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.