The-rat-race Noun - Definition, Pictures, Pronunciation And Usage Notes

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Definition of the rat race noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

the rat race noun  /ðə ˈræt reɪs/  /ðə ˈræt reɪs/ [singular] (disapproving) jump to other results

1. the way of life of people living and working in a large city where people compete in an aggressive way with each other in order to be more successful, earn more money, etc.
   • It’s very easy to get caught up in the rat race.
   • The novel is about a couple who get out of the rat race and buy a farm in France.
   Collocations Town and countryTown and countryTown
   • live in a city/​a town/​an urban environment/(informal) a concrete jungle/​the suburbs/​shanty towns/​slums
   • live (especially North American English) downtown/​in the downtown area/(British English) in the city centre
   • enjoy/​like the hectic pace of life/​the hustle and bustle of city life
   • cope with the stress/​pressure of urban life
   • get caught up in the rat race
   • prefer/​seek the anonymity of life in a big city
   • be drawn by/​resist the lure of the big city
   • head for the bright lights (of the big city/​New York)
   • enjoy/​love the vibrant/​lively nightlife
   • have/​be close to all the amenities
   • be surrounded by towering skyscrapers/​a soulless urban sprawl
   • use/​travel by/​rely on (British English) public transport/(North American English) public transportation
   • put up with/​get stuck in/​sit in massive/​huge/​heavy/​endless/​constant traffic jams
   • tackle/​ease/​reduce/​relieve/​alleviate the heavy/​severe traffic congestion
   • be affected/​choked/​damaged by pollution
   Country
   • live in a village/​the countryside/​an isolated area/​a rural backwater/(informal) the sticks
   • enjoy/​like the relaxed/​slower pace of life
   • enjoy/​love/​explore the great outdoors
   • look for/​find/​get/​enjoy a little peace and quiet
   • need/​want to get back/​closer to nature
   • be surrounded by open/​unspoilt/​picturesque countryside
   • escape/​quit/​get out of/​leave the rat race
   • seek/​achieve a better/​healthy work-life balance
   • downshift to a less stressful life
   • seek/​start a new life in the country
   • (British English, informal) up sticks/ (North American English, informal ) pull up stakes and move to/​head for…
   • create/​build/​foster a strong sense of community
   • depend on/​be employed in/​work in agriculture
   • live off/​farm/​work the land
   • tackle/​address the problem of rural unemployment
   Topics People in societyc2

See the rat race in the Oxford Advanced American DictionaryCheck pronunciation: the rat race

Nearby words

• rat out phrasal verb
• rat pack noun
• the rat race noun
• rat run noun
• rats exclamation

mainly adverb From the Word list Oxford 3000 B1 Oxford Learner's Dictionaries Word of the Day