1
: having few stories and not usually equipped with elevators
a low-rise apartment/office building
2
: of, relating to, or characterized by low-rise buildings
a low-rise housing development
3
: having a shorter than standard rise (see rise entry 2 sense 7)
low-rise jeans
The finishing touch of her ensemble then came in the form of "old school," low-rise brown suede … pants and coordinating brown leather boots.—Claudia Miller
Jeans can also be OK … in some work environments, but not the "Saturday night jeans" that are low-rise and sexy.—Paula Rath

Examples of low-rise in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Women’s styles span a micro mini skirt with an adjustable denim belt, low-rise baggy jeans and a zipper bubble jacket. — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 30 Oct. 2026 His team follows online conversations and changing styles, from baggy men’s jeans to low-rise women’s denim and crystals across categories. — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2026 This low-rise pair is way much more wearable, but not so low-rise that my belly button will be visible. — Reece Andavolgyi, InStyle, 20 Oct. 2026 In Malabo, Bioko’s biggest city, a team of men and women equipped with insecticide sprayers squeezed between low-rise cement buildings on a recent morning, as heavy rain drummed on aluminum roofs. — ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for low-rise

Word History

First Known Use

1922, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of low-rise was in 1922

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Low-rise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/low-rise. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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