rank

CEFRB1

/ˈɹæŋk/

noun · adjective

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A position in a group or organization.

  2. 02

    adjective

    Having a very strong and unpleasant smell.

Examples

  • She was not used to mixing with people of high social rank.

  • Taxis stood in a rank in front of the station.

At a glance

Sits at B1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
5
Synonyms
5

Also pronounced

  • /ˈɹeɪ̯ŋk/

Deep Dive

adjective

Extra meanings

  1. Strong; powerful; capable of acting or being used with great effect; energetic; vigorous; headstrong.

  2. Strong in growth; growing with vigour or rapidity, hence, coarse or gross.

  3. Causing strong growth; producing luxuriantly; rich and fertile.

More examples

In context

  • The hierarchy of rank has long been fixed.

  • Your gym clothes are rank, bro – when'd you last wash 'em?

  • If Safford happens to be driving a "rank" horse, one that insists on getting away fast, he goes along with the rest, […]

Synonyms

Antonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

She quickly achieved the highest blank in her military division after hard training.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

From Middle English rank (“strong, proud”), from Old English ranc (“proud, haughty, arrogant, insolent, forward, overbearing, showy, ostentatious, splendid, bold, valiant, noble, brave, strong, full-grown, mature”), from Proto-West Germanic *rank, from Proto-Germanic *rankaz (“straight”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ- (“straight, direct”). Cognate with Dutch rank (“slender, slim”), Low German rank (“slender, projecting, lank”), Danish rank (“straight, erect, slender”), Swedish rank (“slender, shaky, wonky”), Icelandic rakkur (“straight, slender, bold, valiant”).