rate

A rate is an amount of money that a person has to pay for something, especially if a price goes up and down.

• The rates at that hotel are kind of high.
• Interest rates on loans are very low right now.
• The exchange rate in that country favors the U.S. dollar.
• We were thinking about renting a car in New York, but the rates were too high.

Sometimes a rate refers to speed:

• The rate at which they were traveling broke the speed limit.
• Mike is growing quickly. At this rate, he’ll be six feet tall by the time he’s 13.

If you use rate as a verb, the meaning is quite different. To rate something is to give an opinion about quality. A person who rates uses a scale or a ratings system that other people understand.

• How does this restaurant rate against others that serve the same kind of food?
• This movie is rated R.
• How does this car rate in Consumer Reports?

The word "rating" is a noun:

• The cafe scored a bad rating from the critic who reviewed it.
• Leonard’s supervisor gave him a high rating on his performance review.
• The ratings for the Academy Awards show are almost always high.

He gave the movie a good rating.

Click here to go to the Word of the Day page.

January 11, 2013