ratchet

1 of 3

noun

ratch·​et ˈra-chət 

variants or less commonly rachet

1

: a mechanism that consists of a bar or wheel having inclined teeth into which a pawl drops so that motion can be imparted to the wheel or bar, governed, or prevented and that is used in a hand tool (such as a wrench or screwdriver) to allow effective motion in one direction only

2

: a pawl or detent for holding or propelling a toothed wheel

ratchet

2 of 3

verb

variants or less commonly rachet

ratcheted also racheted; ratcheting also racheting; ratchets also rachets

transitive verb

: to cause to move by steps or degrees

—usually used with up or down

tried to ratchet down the debt

intransitive verb

: to proceed by steps or degrees

ratchet

3 of 3

adjective

slang, sometimes disparaging + offensive; see usage paragraph below

: having qualities (such as boisterous behavior or a flashy appearance) that are often stereotypically associated with low social class or inner-city neighborhoods

The authenticity of his or her blackness is immediately called into question. We should be black but not too black, neither too ratchet nor too bougie.

—Roxane Gay

Growing up in San Antonio, she [Amena Brown] says, she felt she had to choose which type of Black girl she wanted to be rather than celebrate her wholeness. But now, in Atlanta, her life has come together like a mosaic. "Atlanta brings all the layers," she said. "Atlanta wants to be bougie; she wants to be hood; she wants to be intellectual; she wants to be ratchet. She wants to be all the things."

—Brooke Leigh Howard

The 24-year-old Los Angeles producer went on a dastardly tear through club hip-hop and was behind seemingly every strong banger with his signature ratchet style.

—Ramon Ramirez

… politicians need to pay closer attention to the thinkings and way of life of all the common people. By paying attention and even pretending in the slightest to be concerned about popular ratchet culture, they can have a greater impact and assurance of getting their political ideologies and voices across.

—Natalie Harewood

Usage of Ratchet

Ratchet is an African American English slang term used in and associated with popular Black culture. Its meaning and connotation are complex and depend heavily on the speaker and context. Used self-referentially, it can be positive or joking; used disparagingly of someone else (especially a Black woman), it can be highly offensive. Like the slang terms ghetto, hood, and hood rat, ratchet is often used to criticize stigmatized behaviors and appearances stereotypically associated with lower class Black people, especially women. In this use it can be sexist, racist, and classist. However, many Black women and LGBTQ+ people have reappropriated the term in more positive or humorous ways, using it, for example, in reference to looking a bit sleazy or letting loose a little.

Did you know?

Slang Meaning of Ratchet

Ratchet also means “trashy and disorderly, sometimes in a good way.” Learn more>

Synonyms of ratchet

Verb

• decrease
• diminish
• shrink
• ebb
• die (away or down or out)
• decline
• taper off

Examples of ratchet in a Sentence

Verb

news stories about the kidnapping will ratchet down as the weeks go by

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Commercial predictive policing technologies (which have largely been brought under ShotSpotter’s parent company SoundThinking’s umbrella) do little more than ratchet up racist overpolicing and offer bad predictions. — Literary Hub, 24 Aug. 2026

The Independence Police Department received a tip that Kitara and another man may have beaten Simpson with a ratchet before dumping her body in an unknown location, according to court documents. — Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 11 Aug. 2026

Verb

Director-screenwriter Jacob Chase, who has experience with this sort of material thanks to his 2020 horror film Come Play, establishes tension in the opening moments and steadily ratchets it up from there. — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 19 Aug. 2026

San Francisco, in contrast, is seeing the gap narrow as the massive influx of investment and newcomers tied to the artificial intelligence boom has been ratcheting up rents. — Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

alteration of earlier rochet, from French, alteration of Middle French rocquet ratchet, bobbin, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German rocko distaff — more at rock

Adjective

of uncertain origin

First Known Use

Noun

1654, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1965, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Adjective

1992, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for ratchet

• hatchet

Kids Definition

ratchet

noun

ratch·​et

ˈrach-ət

1

: a mechanical device that consists of a bar or wheel having slanted teeth into which a pawl drops so as to allow motion in one direction only

2

: pawl