rank
rank — noun
1. a level or position that a person has in an organized group such as the military
a level or position that a person has in an organized group such as the military, a company, or a government, with higher ranks having more authority and responsibility.
Rohan achieved the rank of captain after five years in the army.
rank + of [title]
Ada held a senior rank within the hospital management team.
The police officer's rank was clearly shown on the badge above his pocket.
New employees at the firm start at an entry-level rank and work their way up.
Pedro was promoted to a higher rank after completing the training programme.
文法句型
rank + of [title]
用法筆記
Often used with military and police titles (sergeant, colonel, general) but also applies to corporate and government job levels.
常見錯誤
2. a position on a scale that shows how good something or someone is when compared
a position on a scale that shows how good something or someone is when compared to others of the same type — for example, the rank of a university among schools, or the rank of a wine in a competition.
That university has a rank among the top five in the country for science.
has / holds / achieves a rank among [group]
The wine received a high rank at the international tasting competition.
Sales figures are used to determine the rank of each product in the catalogue.
Schools are given a rank each year based on test scores and graduation rates.
- rating
more common for consumer reviews and scores
- standing
focuses on reputation over time rather than a single position
- classification
more formal, used in official systems
文法句型
rank + among [group]
rank + as + adjective
用法筆記
Can be used as both countable ('a rank of fifth') and uncountable ('has high rank among experts'). Subject is often an institution, product, or achievement being compared.
3. the ordinary soldiers in an army who are not officers; the group of people who a
the ordinary soldiers in an army who are not officers; the group of people who are at the basic level of an organization rather than in a leadership position.
Christopher served in the ranks for three years before being promoted to officer.
in the ranks
The general started his career in the ranks and worked his way up.
in the ranks (from ordinary soldier to high position)
Several soldiers from the ranks were chosen for the special training unit.
The rank and file of the company were not consulted about the new policy.
- enlisted personnel
formal military term, narrower in scope
- rank and file
idiomatic expression for ordinary members of any group
- officers
those who hold command positions above the ranks
文法句型
in the ranks
the rank and file
from the ranks
用法筆記
Used in fixed phrases: 'the ranks' (non-officer soldiers), 'the rank and file' (ordinary members of any organization), 'rise from the ranks' (start as an ordinary soldier and become an officer). Distinguish from sense 4 which refers to the general collective of members.
常見錯誤
4. a large group of people who belong to a particular organization, profession, or
a large group of people who belong to a particular organization, profession, or share a particular situation or characteristic.
The earthquake swelled the ranks of the homeless across the region.
swell the ranks of
More women are joining the ranks of professional engineers every year.
The charity has added thousands of volunteers to its ranks this year alone.
The ranks of the unemployed grew sharply after the factory closure.
- membership
refers to the condition of belonging rather than the group itself
- body
more formal, e.g. 'student body'
文法句型
the ranks of + [group]
swell the ranks of
用法筆記
Nearly always in plural form 'ranks'. Common with 'the ranks of + plural noun' (the unemployed, the elderly, teachers). Subject is typically a change (swell, grow, join) affecting the group's size.
5. an orderly formation where soldiers, police officers, or objects are positioned
an orderly formation where soldiers, police officers, or objects are positioned side-by-side in a straight line, all facing forward.
The soldiers stood in neat ranks for the morning inspection.
in ranks (standing in formation)
The children formed two ranks and marched into the hall single file.
Ranks of white chairs faced the stage for the outdoor ceremony.
The police officers stood in a long rank between the crowd and the building.
文法句型
in ranks
rank of + [people/things]
用法筆記
Most common in military and ceremonial contexts. 'Rank' describes a side-by-side line (horizontal), while 'file' describes a front-to-back line (vertical).
常見錯誤
6. a designated spot at a station, airport, or street where taxis form a queue and
a designated spot at a station, airport, or street where taxis form a queue and wait for customers to hire them.
After the train arrived, passengers hurried to the taxi rank outside.
at the taxi rank
The airport has a covered taxi rank just next to the arrivals hall.
João waited at the taxi rank for twenty minutes on the rainy evening.
A long queue of passengers formed at the taxi rank after the concert.
- taxi stand
American English equivalent
- cab stand
informal American equivalent
文法句型
taxi rank
at the rank
queue at a rank
用法筆記
Chiefly British English. In American English the equivalent is 'taxi stand.' Often found at transport hubs (stations, airports, hotels).
常見錯誤
rank — adjective
1. used to emphasise that something bad or negative is complete and extreme in degr
used to emphasise that something bad or negative is complete and extreme in degree, with no attempt to hide or soften it.
The report described the corruption as a case of rank injustice.
rank + abstract negative noun (injustice, hypocrisy, dishonesty)
The decision was called a rank act of favouritism by the losing team.
His excuse turned out to be rank dishonesty from beginning to end.
The jury showed rank incompetence in handling the evidence properly.
文法句型
rank + [negative noun]
用法筆記
Always used before a noun (attributive only), and the noun must express something negative: injustice, hypocrisy, dishonesty, incompetence, cowardice, etc. Cannot be used with neutral or positive nouns.
常見錯誤
2. growing very thickly and fast, often in a way that is uncontrolled or too dense
growing very thickly and fast, often in a way that is uncontrolled or too dense — used especially of plants, grass, or weeds.
The old garden was choked with rank weeds and wild bushes.
rank + vegetation nouns (weeds, grass, vegetation)
After the rainy season, rank grass covered the abandoned field.
Rank vegetation grew along the edges of the neglected pathway.
The riverbanks were hidden behind a wall of rank green undergrowth.
- sparse
thinly scattered; opposite of dense growth
文法句型
rank + [plant/growth noun]
用法筆記
Attributive only (before the noun). Carries a slightly negative connotation — the growth is excessive or untidy rather than simply healthy. More common in descriptive or literary writing than in everyday speech.
常見錯誤
3. having a very strong and unpleasant smell or taste, often like something rotten,
having a very strong and unpleasant smell or taste, often like something rotten, stale, or dirty.
A rank smell of old fish and damp cloth filled the tiny kitchen.
rank smell / odour / stench
The cheese was so rank that Ingrid had to leave the room.
The water in the old well had a rank taste that nobody could drink.
The air in the basement turned rank after weeks of no ventilation.
- fresh
clean and pleasant-smelling, opposite of stale or rotten
文法句型
rank + [smell noun]
smell/taste rank
用法筆記
Unlike sense 1 and 2 of the adjective, this sense can be used both before a noun ('a rank smell') and after a linking verb ('the air smelled rank'). Stronger and more disapproving than 'strong-smelling.'
常見錯誤
rank — verb
1. to have or be given a particular position on a scale when compared to others of
to have or be given a particular position on a scale when compared to others of the same type — for example, a team ranking third in a competition, or a product ranking high in customer satisfaction.
The university ranks second in the country for business studies.
rank + ordinal (first, second, third)
Maja's blog ranks among the most popular food websites in Europe.
rank among [group]
The company is ranked fifth in the global smartphone market this year.
Safety is ranked as the top priority by most airline passengers.
The judges ranked Asher's photograph higher than any other entry.
文法句型
rank + adverb/preposition
be ranked + adverb/preposition
用法筆記
Can be used transitively (someone/something ranks X) or intransitively (X ranks Y). The passive form ('is ranked') is very common in reporting and lists. Commonly paired with ordinal numbers (first, second, third) or position adverbs (high, low, above, below).