# rehearsing

/ɹɪˈhɝsɪŋ/ (US) · /ɹɪhˈɜːsɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/rehearsing
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. practicing a performance

verb · CEFR B2

practicing a play, dance, or piece of music to prepare for a public performance.

For teachers: practicing a performing arts piece systematically in preparation for public presentation.

- The band spent all afternoon rehearsing their new songs for the concert.
- The cast spent six weeks rehearsing the complex choreography before the director felt they were ready for the opening night preview.

### 2. repeating to remember

verb · CEFR B2

saying or going over something in your mind so you do not forget it.

For teachers: mentally or vocally repeating information to ensure retention or to prepare for a specific interaction.

- I kept rehearsing my speech in the shower so I wouldn't be nervous.
- She sat in the waiting room silently rehearsing her answers to the potential interview questions she had researched earlier.

### 3. the act of practice

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

the activity of practicing for a performance.

For teachers: the gerundial use of the verb to describe the ongoing process of preparation for a performance.

- Hours of rehearsing finally paid off when the show was a success.
- The constant rehearsing had exhausted the choir, yet their technical precision improved noticeably with every session.

## Examples

- The band is rehearsing their new songs in the garage.
- The actors spent the entire afternoon rehearsing the final scene to ensure the emotional timing was perfect.
- While the orchestra had been rehearsing the symphony for months, the conductor insisted on one final session to refine the woodwind section's delicate entry in the second movement.

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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.