rally

rally to (someone or something)

1. To unite or join with someone or something to lend support or assistance. The local community has rallied to the family after it emerged that they were unable to pay their son's medical expenses. It has been extraordinary seeing people rally to the movement with such enthusiasm.

2. To cause, compel, or incite someone to unite or join with someone or something else to lend support or assistance. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "rally" and "to." We've been canvassing neighborhoods around the county in an effort to rally people to our cause. A group of fans has been trying to rally people to the actor following the scandalous allegations against him.

See also: rally

rally around

To unite or join with someone or something to lend support or assistance. The local community has rallied around the family after it emerged that they were unable to pay their son's medical expenses. Our campaign will only be successful if enough people rally around and help spread and support our cause.

See also: around, rally

rally around someone or something

Fig. to unite or assemble in support of someone or something. All the other workers rallied around Fred in his fight with management. They rallied around the principle that Fred stood for.

See also: around, rally

rally to someone or something

to unite in support of someone or something. The students rallied to Betty, their elected president. We all rallied to the cause.

See also: rally

pep someone up

Invigorate someone or cheer someone up, as in This drink will pep you up, or The good news about his recovery pepped us up. [1920s] Both the verb pep and the noun pep, denoting vigor and energy since about 1910, are abbreviations for pepper, a spice with a pungent, biting quality. They also have given rise to pep rally, a meeting to inspire enthusiasm [c. 1940], and pep talk, a speech meant to instill enthusiasm or bolster morale [1920s].

See also: pep, someone, up

rally around

Join in a common effort, as in When Mom broke her leg the entire family rallied around to help. This idiom gained currency with George F. Root's famous Civil War song, "The Battle Cry of Freedom," which urges troops to rally round the flag that goes with them into battle. [Early 1800s]

See also: around, rally

rally

(ˈræli)

1. n. get-together of some kind; a party, usually informal, possibly spontaneous. There’s a rally over at Tom’s tonight.

2. in. to hold a get-together of some kind; to party. (Collegiate.) Let’s rally tonight about midnight.