rate 1 of 3

noun

ˈrāt How to pronounce rate (audio)
Definition of ratenext
1
as in quality
degree of excellence not being of the first rate, these apples are usually sold as food for livestock

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in ratio
the relationship in quantity, amount, or size between two or more things the exchange rate was 10 pesos to the dollar when we visited Mexico

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

rate

2 of 3

verb (1)

1
as in to deserve
to be or make worthy of (as a reward or punishment) how does a summer intern rate a new computer when I've been told to make do with this clunker?

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to estimate
to make an approximate or tentative judgment regarding nowadays most motorists would probably rate their cell phone as an "essential" piece of electronic equipment

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to rank
to take or have a certain position within a group arranged in vertical classes a restaurant that consistently rates high in all the standard categories

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in to consider
to think of in a particular way I would rate her my best friend; after all, she's always been there when I needed her

Synonyms & Similar Words

rate

3 of 3

verb (2)

as in to scold
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings a tyrannical father who usually spent most of dinnertime rating his children on their alleged multitude of failings

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb rate differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of rate are appraise, assess, estimate, evaluate, and value. While all these words mean "to judge something with respect to its worth or significance," rate adds to estimate the notion of placing a thing according to a scale of values.

a highly rated restaurant

When might appraise be a better fit than rate?

The words appraise and rate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, appraise commonly implies the fixing by an expert of the monetary worth of a thing, but it may be used of any critical judgment.

having their house appraised

When could assess be used to replace rate?

Although the words assess and rate have much in common, assess implies a critical appraisal for the purpose of understanding or interpreting, or as a guide in taking action.

officials are trying to assess the damage

When is estimate a more appropriate choice than rate?

The meanings of estimate and rate largely overlap; however, estimate implies a judgment, considered or casual, that precedes or takes the place of actual measuring or counting or testing out.

estimated the crowd at two hundred

When is it sensible to use evaluate instead of rate?

The synonyms evaluate and rate are sometimes interchangeable, but evaluate suggests an attempt to determine relative or intrinsic worth in terms other than monetary.

evaluate a student's work

How do value and appraise relate to one another, in the sense of rate?

Value equals appraise but without implying expertness of judgment.

a watercolor valued by the donor at $500

How does the verb rate differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of rate are appraise, assess, estimate, evaluate, and value. While all these words mean "to judge something with respect to its worth or significance," rate adds to estimate the notion of placing a thing according to a scale of values.

a highly rated restaurant

When might appraise be a better fit than rate?

The words appraise and rate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, appraise commonly implies the fixing by an expert of the monetary worth of a thing, but it may be used of any critical judgment.

having their house appraised

When could assess be used to replace rate?

Although the words assess and rate have much in common, assess implies a critical appraisal for the purpose of understanding or interpreting, or as a guide in taking action.

officials are trying to assess the damage

When is estimate a more appropriate choice than rate?

The meanings of estimate and rate largely overlap; however, estimate implies a judgment, considered or casual, that precedes or takes the place of actual measuring or counting or testing out.

estimated the crowd at two hundred

When is it sensible to use evaluate instead of rate?

The synonyms evaluate and rate are sometimes interchangeable, but evaluate suggests an attempt to determine relative or intrinsic worth in terms other than monetary.

evaluate a student's work

How do value and appraise relate to one another, in the sense of rate?

Value equals appraise but without implying expertness of judgment.

a watercolor valued by the donor at $500

How does the verb rate differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of rate are appraise, assess, estimate, evaluate, and value. While all these words mean "to judge something with respect to its worth or significance," rate adds to estimate the notion of placing a thing according to a scale of values.

a highly rated restaurant

When might appraise be a better fit than rate?

The words appraise and rate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, appraise commonly implies the fixing by an expert of the monetary worth of a thing, but it may be used of any critical judgment.

having their house appraised

When could assess be used to replace rate?

Although the words assess and rate have much in common, assess implies a critical appraisal for the purpose of understanding or interpreting, or as a guide in taking action.

officials are trying to assess the damage

When is estimate a more appropriate choice than rate?

The meanings of estimate and rate largely overlap; however, estimate implies a judgment, considered or casual, that precedes or takes the place of actual measuring or counting or testing out.

estimated the crowd at two hundred

When is it sensible to use evaluate instead of rate?

The synonyms evaluate and rate are sometimes interchangeable, but evaluate suggests an attempt to determine relative or intrinsic worth in terms other than monetary.

evaluate a student's work

How do value and appraise relate to one another, in the sense of rate?

Value equals appraise but without implying expertness of judgment.

a watercolor valued by the donor at $500

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 rate
Noun
Bangladesh was also forced onto expensive spot LNG purchases as prices climbed above $20 per mmBtu, more than double January rates. —Assef Shaikh, Footwear News, 2 Apr. 2026 While overall inflation increased steadily and theme park admission rose at roughly twice the rate of CPI, concert ticket prices followed a different trajectory. —Bydoug Ashburn, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Verb
Fourteen of the 16 analysts covering the company rate it a buy or strong buy, and see 12% further upside ahead based on the average price target, LSEG said. —Itzel Franco, CNBC, 2 Apr. 2026 For families Golf lessons for adults and children are highly rated (golf pro Jody Addison is fabulous with the smalls), while tennis and paddle lessons are offered aplenty. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rate
  1. quality
  2. ratio
Noun
  • A little more than a week into the season, the Padres have two quality starts out of their rotation.
    — Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
  • The MorphoScan is even missing a couple of quality-of-life features present on the Etekcity scale, including a safe mode for pregnant women and pacemaker users that disables the BIA electrical current for weight-only measurements.
    — Andrew Gebhart, PC Magazine, 5 Apr. 2026
Definition of quality
Noun
  • Bulté is now working with a wildlife statistician to assess whether the Opinicon population is stable, growing, or shrinking — and whether the male-female ratio has been permanently shifted by the 2022 die-off.
    — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2026
  • From studies with the James Webb Space Telescope's Near-Infrared Spectrometer (NIRSpec), Cordiner and his team measured both the ratio of carbon-12 to carbon-13 in 3I/ATLAS and also how enriched 3I/ATLAS's water is with the molecule deuterium, which is one of two stable isotopes of hydrogen.
    — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 30 Mar. 2026
Definition of ratio

Phrases Containing rate

Browse Nearby Words

ratchet (up)
rate
rated
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rate. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of rate for Spanish Speakers

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