rank 1 of 3

rank

2 of 3

noun

1
as in ranking
the placement of someone or something in relation to others in a vertical arrangement attained the highest rank in the Freemasons

Synonyms & Similar Words

2
3
as in row
a series of people or things arranged side by side rank upon rank of cavalry came thundering down the hill

Synonyms & Similar Words

4

rank

3 of 3

adjective

1
as in rampant
growing thickly and vigorously covered with trumpet vines so rank you couldn't see the trellis beneath them

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word rank distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of rank are fetid, fusty, malodorous, musty, noisome, putrid, and stinking. While all these words mean "bad-smelling," rank suggests a strong unpleasant smell.

rank cigar smoke

How do fusty and musty relate to one another, in the sense of rank?

Both fusty and musty suggest lack of fresh air and sunlight, fusty also implying prolonged uncleanliness, musty stressing the effects of dampness, mildew, or age.

a fusty attic
the musty odor of a damp cellar

When is malodorous a more appropriate choice than rank?

The synonyms malodorous and rank are sometimes interchangeable, but malodorous may range from the unpleasant to the strongly offensive.

malodorous fertilizers

In what contexts can noisome take the place of rank?

While the synonyms noisome and rank are close in meaning, noisome adds a suggestion of being harmful or unwholesome as well as offensive.

a stagnant, noisome sewer

When might putrid be a better fit than rank?

Although the words putrid and rank have much in common, putrid implies particularly the sickening odor of decaying organic matter.

the putrid smell of rotting fish

How are the words stinking and fetid related as synonyms of rank?

Both stinking and fetid suggest the foul or disgusting.

prisoners were held in stinking cells
the fetid odor of skunk cabbage

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of rank
Verb
The Longhorns enter the season ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press and coaches polls. Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Aug. 2025 If the cool girls in secondary school ranked me as pretty, then that too must have been true. Akwaeke Emezi august 18, Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 2025
Noun
All three tied for the top spot, with 100 percent of their inland sites receiving top ranks. Katie Nadworny, Travel + Leisure, 5 Aug. 2025 Since going public in 2011, shares of Triveni have rocketed about 1,600%, propelling Sawhney’s father, Dhruv Sawhney, under whom the $1.8 billion fortune is listed, into the billionaire ranks, starting in 2022. Anu Raghunathan, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Both Heritage and Fraser rank Peru in the top third of the world. Alejandro Antonio Chafuen, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025 Forcing priests to divulge confessions, while exempting all manner of secular confessors, is rank religious discrimination. Dan McLaughlin, National Review, 6 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for rank
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rank
Verb
  • Much depends on what happens in the final weeks of the transfer window, but there is still hope Palace can have a successful season again.
    Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2025
  • This is undoubtedly one of the most baffling mysteries of all time, and there is a purist sense of absolute joy and satisfaction in solving it.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The lockbox is fireproof and waterproof and Underwriters Laboratory (UL) classified.
    BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2025
  • The best way to protect yourself from poor air quality is to stay indoors, especially when the Air Quality Index reaches above 101, which is classified as unhealthy for sensitive groups, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
    Jack Albright, jsonline.com, 6 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Both also moved up in the rankings ahead of the U.S. Open.
    Adam Zagoria, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
  • As Shelton raised the champion trophy, he was set to move to No. 6 in the ATP rankings and No. 4 in the ATP Race to Turin.
    Lukas Weese, New York Times, 8 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • No One Saw Coming follows a group of Black women — healers, leaders, artists, and mothers — creating a new blueprint for resistance in a society that demands their exhaustion while denying their safety and dignity.
    Daisy Auger-Domínguez, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
  • His dream is to help seed a truly circular economy whereby his compatriots can safely, cleanly and with dignity turn garbage into gold.
    Charlie Campbell, Time, 6 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • The team was trying to return to Omaha, for the College World Series, for the second year in a row.
    Paige Williams, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
  • Sabrina Carpenter is set to perform on the MTV Video Music Awards for the second year in a row.
    Paul Grein, Billboard, 18 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • The smart glasses category is anchored by devices like Meta Ray-Bans, Xreal, and Viture.
    Charlie Fink, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
  • In the Pilots category, the Grand Jury Prize went to Bulldozer, written by and starring Joanna Leeds, and directed by Andrew Leeds.
    Matt Grobar, Deadline, 7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • On social media, Michaels also spoke about rampant speculation surrounding her relationship with former costar Harper.
    Jay Stahl, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2025
  • In a time when discord and disconnection are rampant, Hiyer was created to offer something different—a chance to market your skills, find professional opportunities, and build community intentionally.
    Janice Gassam Asare, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • This is about a team with a top-10 payroll whose GM committed too stinking much of it to dogs that can’t, or won’t, pull the sled.
    Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 22 Dec. 2019
  • Muttaiah said the man inside the stinking manhole was working without any safety equipment — no gloves, no shoes, no supplemental oxygen.
    Joanna Slater, Washington Post, 16 Dec. 2019

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Cite this Entry

“Rank.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rank. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.

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