Rank (Adjective)

Meaning ¹

Conspicuously and outrageously bad or reprehensible; "a crying shame"; "an egregious lie"; "flagrant violation of human rights"; "a glaring error"; "gross ineptitude"; "gross injustice"; "rank treachery".

Classification

All adjective clusters.

Examples

• The politician's rank dishonesty was exposed when the scandal broke.
• The company's rank incompetence led to the project's failure.
• The judge's rank bias was evident in the unfair verdict.
• The rank cruelty of the dictator's regime was well-documented.
• The athlete's rank arrogance was off-putting to fans and teammates alike.

Synonyms

• Egregious
• Glaring
• Flagrant
• Gross
• Crying

Meaning ²

Very fertile; producing profuse growth; "rank earth".

Classification

All adjective clusters.

Examples

• The rank soil in the garden was perfect for growing a lush carpet of grass.
• The tropical island's rank vegetation seemed to swallow up the old ruins.
• After years of neglect, the rank weeds had taken over the abandoned lot.
• The farmer carefully tended to the rank soil, coaxing forth a bountiful harvest.
• The rank earth in the greenhouse was teeming with life, supporting a dazzling array of exotic plants.

Related Words

• Rankness (noun)

Meaning ³

Complete and without restriction or qualification; sometimes used informally as intensifiers; "absolute freedom"; "an absolute dimwit"; "a downright lie"; "out-and-out mayhem"; "an out-and-out lie"; "a rank outsider"; "many right-down vices"; "got the job through sheer persistence"; "sheer stupidity".

Classification

All adjective clusters.

Examples

• The smell of the rotten fish was rank and overpowering.
• He was a rank amateur when it came to playing chess.
• The rank incompetence of the management team was staggering.
• The rank and file employees were not consulted about the company's decision.
• The politician's rank dishonesty was exposed by the investigative journalist.

Synonyms

• Right-down
• Out-and-out
• Sheer
• Downright
• Absolute

Meaning ⁴

Growing profusely; "rank jungle vegetation".

Classification

All adjective clusters.

Examples

• The island's tropical climate allowed rank foliage to thrive, making it nearly impassable to hikers.
• After years of neglect, the once-manicured garden had given way to rank weeds and overgrown shrubs.
• The humid air and ample rainfall in the valley supported rank vegetation, a lush tapestry of greens and flowers.
• The crew battled through rank underbrush, machetes slicing through thick vines and thorny creepers.
• As the summer months drew to a close, the untended lawn had grown rank and unruly, hiding forgotten garden gnomes and ornaments.

Related Words

• Rankness (noun)

Meaning ⁵

Very offensive in smell or taste; "a rank cigar".

Classification

All adjective clusters.

Examples

• The rank smell of the dumpster filled the entire alleyway.
• She couldn't stand the rank taste of the spoiled milk.
• The rank odor of the gym socks was overwhelming.
• He lit a rank cigar and began to puff away.
• The rank smell of the stagnant water made it hard to breathe.

Related Words

• Rankness (noun)