rank

AI In plain words

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Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.

rank^¹

/ˈɹæŋk/
[ˈɹʷæŋk]
/ˈɹeɪ̯ŋk/ Canada, US
[ˈɹʷeɪ̯ŋk] Canada, US
/ˈɹɛ̃ŋk/ Canada, US
[ˈɹʷɛ̃ŋk] Canada, US

Rhymes with -æŋk

Where it comes from

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”).

The sense referring to taste or odor is possibly influenced by rancor.

adjective ranker · more rank · rankest · most rank · ranck

obsolete Strong in growth; growing with vigour or rapidity, hence, coarse or gross. rank grass
obsolete Causing strong growth; producing luxuriantly; rich and fertile. rank land
obsolete Suffering from overgrowth or hypertrophy; plethoric. The moon had spread over everything a thin layer of silver—over the rank grass, over the mud, upon the wall of matted vegetation standing higher than the wall of a temple […]
obsolete Strong to the senses; offensive; noisome.
informal, obsolete Gross, disgusting, foul.
obsolete Headstrong; difficult to control. If Safford happens to be driving a "rank" horse, one that insists on getting away fast, he goes along with the rest, […]
Having a very strong, bad taste or odor. Your gym clothes are rank, bro – when'd you last wash 'em?
Similar: stinky, smelly, pongy, gamy
emphatic, intensifier, negative complete, unmitigated, utter. rank treason
Similar: thorough, virulent
obsolete lustful; lascivious the ewes being rank, In end of autumn turned to the rams

adverb more rank · most rank · ranck

obsolete Quickly, eagerly, impetuously. The seely man seeing him ryde so rancke, / And ayme at him, fell flat to ground for feare […].

rank^²

/ˈɹæŋk/
[ˈɹʷæŋk]
/ˈɹeɪ̯ŋk/ Canada, US
[ˈɹʷeɪ̯ŋk] Canada, US
/ˈɹɛ̃ŋk/ Canada, US
[ˈɹʷɛ̃ŋk] Canada, US

Rhymes with -æŋk

Where it comes from

From Middle English rank (“line, row”), from Old French ranc, rang, reng (“line, row, rank”) (Modern French rang), from Frankish *hring (“ring”), from Proto-Germanic *hringaz (“something bent or curved”). Displaced native Old English hād (“rank, status”).

Akin to Old High German (h)ring, Old Frisian hring, Old English hring, hrincg (“ring”), Old Norse hringr (“ring, circle, queue, sword; ship”). Doublet of ring and rink.

noun ranks · ranck

countable, uncountable A row of people or things organized in a grid pattern, often soldiers. The front rank kneeled to reload while the second rank fired over their heads.
Opposite: file
countable, uncountable One of the eight horizontal lines of squares on a chessboard (i.e., those identified by a number).
Opposite: file
countable, uncountable The value of a playing card. The ranks are 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace.
countable, uncountable In a pipe organ, a set of pipes of a certain quality for which each pipe corresponds to one key or pedal.
countable, uncountable One's position in a list sorted by a shared property such as physical location, population, popularity, or quality. Based on your test scores, you have a rank of 23.
countable, uncountable The level of one's position in a class-based society.
Similar: condition
countable, uncountable A category of people, such as those who share an occupation or belong to an organisation. a membership drawn from the ranks of wealthy European businessmen
countable, uncountable A hierarchical level in an organization such as the military. Private First Class (PFC) is the second-lowest rank in the Marines.
countable, uncountable A level in a scientific taxonomy system. Phylum is the taxonomic rank below kingdom and above class.
countable, uncountable The dimensionality of an array (computing) or tensor.
countable, uncountable The maximal number of linearly independent columns (or rows) of a matrix.
countable, uncountable The maximum quantity of D-linearly independent elements of a module (over an integral domain D).
countable, uncountable The size of any basis of a given matroid.

verb ranks · ranking · ranked · ranck

transitive To place abreast or in a line. She [Diana] hath ſent (to plague vs) a huge ſauadge Boare, / Of an vn-meaſured height and magnitude. / […] / His briſtles poynted like a range of pikes / Ranck't on his backe: his foame ſnovves vvhere he feeds / His tuskes are like the Indian Oliphants.
intransitive To have a ranking. Their defense ranked third in the league.
transitive To assign a suitable place in a class or order; to classify. Ranking all things under general and special heads.
Similar: place
US, transitive To take the rank of; to outrank.

Rank^³

proper noun

A surname.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: abundant, grade, out-and-out, conspicuous, right-down, outrank, obvious, downright, flagrant, complete, egregious, offensive, order, rate, gross, glaring

Translations

Every language

adj strong in growth

Deutsch	geil

adj highly offensive; disgusting

Español	repugnante
Português	repugnante
Deutsch	ekelhaft
Italiano	ripugnante, repellente
Русский	отврати́тельный otvratítelʹnyj, ме́рзкий mérzkij, омерзи́тельный omerzítelʹnyj

adj having a very strong and bad odor

Español	rancio
日本語	臭い kusai
中文	腥 xīng, 臭 chòu
Português	rançoso
Français	malodorant, rance
Deutsch	stinkend
Italiano	puzzolente
Ελληνικά	ταγγός tangós
Română	rânced
Русский	воню́чий vonjúčij, прого́рклый progórklyj

noun row of people or things organized in a grid pattern

Español	fila
हिन्दी	श्रेणीबद्ध śreṇībaddh
Português	fileira, coluna
Русский	ряд rjad, шере́нга šerénga, коло́нна kolónna, ли́ния línija, строй stroj

noun chess: one of the horizontal lines of squares

Español	fila
हिन्दी	रेखा rekhā, लक़ीर laqīr
Português	fileira
Français	rangée
Deutsch	Reihe
Italiano	traversa
Ελληνικά	λωρίδα lorída
Română	linie
Русский	горизонта́ль gorizontálʹ
Tiếng Việt	hàng

noun music: set of pipes in an organ

Français	registre

noun position based on a shared property

Español	rango
中文	秩 zhì, 級 /级 jí
हिन्दी	श्रेणी śreṇī
Français	rang
Deutsch	Rang, Dienstgrad
Italiano	rango, ceto, condizione sociale
Русский	класс klass, положе́ние položénije, ранг rang, разря́д razrjád, катего́рия kategórija
Tiếng Việt	cấp

noun level of one's position in a class-based society

한국어	랭크 raengkeu
日本語	ランク ranku
Kiswahili	cheo
Français	rang

noun in plural: category of people, such as those who share an occupation

Português	quadro

noun hierarchical level in an organization

Español	grado, rango
한국어	계급 gyegeup
日本語	階級 kaikyū
中文	軍階 /军阶 jūnjiē
हिन्दी	पद pad, श्रेणी śreṇī
Português	posição
Français	rang
Deutsch	Rang, Dienstgrad
Italiano	grado, truppa, gregario, rango
Ελληνικά	βαθμός vathmós
Română	grad, rang
Русский	ранг rang, чин čin, зва́ние zvánije, положе́ние položénije
Tiếng Việt	hàm
العربية	رُتْبَة rutba

noun maximal number of linearly independent columns (or rows) of a matrix

Italiano	rango
Русский	ранг rang

verb to place abreast or in a line

Português	enfileirar
Français	ranger

verb to have a ranking

Español	clasificar, rankear, ranquear
中文	排名 páimíng, 名列 míngliè
हिन्दी	श्रेणीबद्ध śreṇībaddh
Português	ranquear
Français	classer
Deutsch	an einer Stelle stehen, rangieren

verb to assign a suitable place in a class or order

हिन्दी	श्रेणीबद्ध śreṇībaddh
Français	coter
Italiano	annoverare

Talk about this word

Cite this

MLA

"rank." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/rank. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.

APA

rank. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/rank

Chicago

"rank." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 5, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/rank.

BibTeX

@misc{rank_2026,
  title = {rank},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/rank},
  urldate = {2026-11-05}
}

rank

AI In plain words

rank¹

Where it comes from

adjective ranker · more rank · rankest · most rank · ranck

adverb more rank · most rank · ranck

rank²

Where it comes from

noun ranks · ranck

verb ranks · ranking · ranked · ranck

Rank³

proper noun

Thesaurus

Translations

adj strong in growth

adj highly offensive; disgusting

adj having a very strong and bad odor

noun row of people or things organized in a grid pattern

noun chess: one of the horizontal lines of squares

noun music: set of pipes in an organ

noun position based on a shared property

noun level of one's position in a class-based society

noun in plural: category of people, such as those who share an occupation

noun hierarchical level in an organization

noun maximal number of linearly independent columns (or rows) of a matrix

verb to place abreast or in a line

verb to have a ranking

verb to assign a suitable place in a class or order

rank^¹

rank^²

Rank^³