the rat race
Definition of the rat race
: the unpleasant life of people who have jobs that require them to work very hard in order to compete with others for money, power, status, etc. She is quitting the rat race to spend time with her family.
From the M-W Editors
Word by Word Definitions
: any of numerous rodents (Rattus and related genera) differing from the related mice especially by considerably larger size
: any of various similar rodents
: a contemptible person: such as
: to catch or hunt rats
: to work as a scab
: to give (hair) the effect of greater quantity (as by use of a rat)
: the act of running
: a strong or rapid current of water flowing through a narrow channel
: a watercourse used industrially
: to compete in a race
: to go, move, or function at top speed or out of control
: to revolve too fast under a diminished load
: a breeding stock of animals
: a family, tribe, people, or nation belonging to the same stock
: a class or kind of people unified by shared interests, habits, or characteristics
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