rat
/ræt/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun:
- A rodent: A medium-sized rodent with a long tail, typically larger than a mouse, known for its destructive habits and potential to spread disease.
- A contemptible person: A person who is considered to be deceitful, disloyal, or despicable.
- An informer: A person who betrays someone by giving confidential or incriminating information to an authority, often for personal gain.
- A strikebreaker: A worker who continues to work or who accepts employment during a strike, undermining the efforts of the strikers.
Verb:
- To inform on someone: To betray someone by revealing secret or damaging information about them to an authority.
- To desert or betray a group: To abandon one's associates, party, or principles, especially in a difficult situation.
- To hunt or catch rats: To engage in the activity of trapping or killing rats.
- To work as a strikebreaker: To take the job of a striking worker.
Usage Examples
Noun:
- The city has a problem with rats in the subway system.
- He's a rat for leaving his friends to take the blame.
- The gangster feared there was a rat in his organization.
- The union members called anyone who crossed the picket line a rat.
Verb:
- He ratted on his accomplices to get a lighter sentence.
- Politicians who rat on their campaign promises lose public trust.
- The terrier was bred to rat in barns and stables.
- The company tried to rat by hiring temporary workers during the strike.
Advanced Usage
"To rat out": To inform on someone (a more specific and common phrasal verb than "rat on").
- She ratted out her coworker for stealing office supplies.
"To rat on a deal/promise": To renege on or betray an agreement.
- They shook hands, but he later ratted on the deal.
Variants and Related Words
- Ratty (adj): Resembling or characteristic of a rat; in poor condition.
- He wore a ratty old coat.
- Rats (interjection): An exclamation of disappointment or annoyance.
- Rats! I missed the bus.
Synonyms
- Noun (rodent): Rodent, vermin.
- Noun (informer): Informant, snitch, betrayer, traitor.
- Noun (despicable person): Scoundrel, cad, rotter (British).
- Verb (inform): Snitch, tell on, betray.
Related Phrasal Verbs
- Rat on: To inform on someone; to break a promise or agreement.
- He ratted on his friends to the police.
- Don't rat on our agreement.
- Rat out: (Similar to "rat on," often used in American English).
- He was afraid his partner would rat him out.
Related Idioms
- Smell a rat: To suspect that something is wrong or that someone is being deceitful.
- The offer was too good to be true; I started to smell a rat.
- Like a drowned rat: Looking completely wet and miserable.
- He came in from the storm looking like a drowned rat.
- Rat race: A fiercely competitive struggle for success, especially in one's career, perceived as stressful and relentless.
- He quit the corporate rat race to become a farmer.
Noun
- a pad (usually made of hair) worn as part of a woman's coiffure
- one who reveals confidential information in return for money
- a person who is deemed to be despicable or contemptible
- only a rotter would do that
- kill the rat
- throw the bum out
- you cowardly little pukes!
- the British call a contemptible person a `git'
- someone who works (or provides workers) during a strike
- any of various long-tailed rodents similar to but larger than a mouse
Verb
- give away information about somebody
- He told on his classmate who had cheated on the exam
- catch rats, especially with dogs
- give (hair) the appearance of being fuller by using a rat
- take the place of work of someone on strike
- employ scabs or strike breakers in
- desert one's party or group of friends, for example, for one's personal advantage