rate
noun OPAL WOPAL S
/reɪt/
/reɪt/
Idioms - [countable] a measurement of the speed at which something happens
- rate (of something) Figures published today show another fall in the rate of inflation.
- at a/the rate of something Most people walk at an average rate of five kilometres an hour.
- at a… rate The number of reported crimes is increasing at an alarming rate.
- rate (that)… At the rate you work, you'll never finish!
Extra Examples- The costs of the project are rising at an alarming rate.
- The deficit has recently exceeded the peak rates of the 1980s.
- The water was escaping at a rate of 200 gallons a minute.
- We need to eat less as we get older and our metabolic rate slows down.
- the slow rate of change
- trying to hold down the rate of inflation
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- constant
- expected
- regular
- …
- accelerate
- improve
- increase
- …
- be up
- go up
- shoot up
- …
- at a/the rate
- rate of
- rate per
- …
- [countable] a measurement of the number of times something happens or something does something during a particular period
- We have seen a reduction in the crime rate over the last 12 months.
- a high success/failure rate
- the youth unemployment rate
- His pulse rate dropped suddenly.
- rate of something a high/low/rising rate of unemployment
- at a/the rate of something Local businesses are closing at the rate of three a year.
Extra Examples- Medical students had a high dropout rate.
- Michigan's high-school graduation rate
- The US has doubled its rate of recycling in ten years.
- The seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate in December stood at 5%.
- There is a low survival rate among babies born before 22 weeks.
- anxiety over rising divorce rates
- the accident rate per 10 000 flight hours
- the rate of salmonella infections
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- constant
- expected
- regular
- …
- accelerate
- improve
- increase
- …
- be up
- go up
- shoot up
- …
- at a/the rate
- rate of
- rate per
- …
- [countable] a fixed amount of money that is charged or paid for something
- advertising/insurance/postal rates
- A rise in interest rates tends to reduce inflation.
- The euro exchange rate is strengthening.
- He argued for a reduction in the top tax rate.
- We offer special reduced rates for students.
- to cut/reduce/increase/raise interest rates
- rate of something a low/high hourly rate of pay
- the basic rate of tax (= the lowest amount that is paid by everyone)
- at a rate (of something) We had to borrow money at a high rate of interest.
- a fixed-rate mortgage (= one in which the amount of money paid back each month is fixed for a particular period)
- a premium-rate phone number (= one that costs more than the usual rate to call)
Synonyms raterate- charge
- fee
- rent
- fine
- fare
- toll
- rental
- rate a fixed amount of money that is asked or paid for something:
- a low hourly rate of pay
- interest rates
- charge an amount of money that is asked for goods or services:
- an admission charge
- fee (rather formal) an amount of money that you have to pay for professional advice or services, to go to a school or college, or to join an organization:
- legal fees
- an annual membership fee
- rent an amount of money that you regularly have to pay for use of a building or room. In American English, rent can be used to mean rental: The weekly rent on the car was over $300.
- fine a sum of money that must be paid as punishment for breaking a law or rule:
- a parking fine
- fare the money that you pay to travel by bus, plane, taxi, etc.
- toll an amount of money that you have to pay to use a particular road or bridge.
- rental an amount of money that you have to pay to use something for a particular period of time.
- (a) rate/charge/fee/rent/fine/fare/toll/rental for something
- (a) rate/charge/fee/rent/toll/rental on something
- at a rate/charge/fee/rent/fare/rental of…
- for a charge/fee
- to pay (a) rate/charge/fee/rent/fine/fare/toll/rental
- to charge (a) rate/fee/rent/fare/toll/rental
Extra ExamplesTopics Moneyb1, Shoppingb1- We have a wide range of vehicles available for hire at competitive rates.
- They charge the usual rate of interest.
- Their hourly rates have gone up.
- The account offers a poor rate of interest.
- Standard rates of interest apply to these loans.
- Mortgage rates jumped to 15%.
- I'll pay you at the going rate.
- I pay the top rate of tax.
- Global banks have pegged interest rates at 1%.
- Exchange rates are fluctuating wildly.
- Ask about the special group rates for entrance to the museum.
- Borrowers want protection against rising interest rates.
- Calls are cheap rate after 6 p.m.
- We will hold these rates until 1 April.
- You can opt to pay a flat rate for unlimited internet access.
- a one-point rise in base lending rates
- an increase in the rate of taxation
- borrowing money at a high rate of interest
- credit companies that charge extortionate rates of interest
- current market rates for borrowing
- the average rate for an unskilled worker
- The bank has announced a cut in interest rates.
- The bank offered us a fixed-rate mortgage
- The glossy magazines charge very high advertising rates.
- The job has a very low hourly rate of pay.
- They are on the basic rate of tax.
- We were forced to borrow the money at an extortionately high rate of interest.
- What is the going rate for bar work?
- safe investments which give a good rate of return
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- cheap
- competitive
- low
- …
- determine
- fix
- peg
- …
- climb
- go up
- increase
- …
- at a/the rate
- rate for
- rate of
- …
- a drop in rates
- a rise in rates
- a rate of return
- …
- rates(also business rates)[plural] (in the UK) a tax paid by businesses to a local authority for land and buildings that they use In Northern Ireland rates are also a tax paid by anyone who owns a house. In the rest of the UK, rates on private homes have been replaced by the council tax.Synonyms taxtaxsee also first-rate, second-rate, third-rateTopics Houses and homesc2
- duty
- customs
- tariff
- rates
- tax money that you have to pay to the government so that it can pay for public services:
- income tax
- tax cuts
- duty a tax that you pay on things that you buy, especially those that you bring into a country:
- The company has to pay customs duties on all imports.
- customs tax that is paid when goods are brought in from other countries
- tariff a tax that is paid on goods coming into or going out of a country, often in order to protect industry from cheap imports:
- A general tariff was imposed on foreign imports.
- rates (in Britain) a tax paid by businesses to a local authority for land and buildings that they use, and in the past also paid by anyone who owned a house:
- Business rates are very high in the city centre.
- (a) tax/duty/tariff/rates on something
- to pay an amount of money in tax/duty/customs/rates
- to pay (a) tax/duty/customs/tariff/rates
- to collect taxes/duties/rates
- to increase/raise/reduce taxes/duty/tariffs/rates
- to cut taxes/duties/rates
- to impose a tax/duty/tariff
- to put a tax/duty on something
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- cheap
- competitive
- low
- …
- determine
- fix
- peg
- …
- climb
- go up
- increase
- …
- at a/the rate
- rate for
- rate of
- …
- a drop in rates
- a rise in rates
- a rate of return
- …
Word Originlate Middle English (expressing a notion of ‘estimated value’): from Old French, from medieval Latin rata (from Latin pro rata parte (or portione) ‘according to the proportional share’), from ratus ‘reckoned’, past participle of reri.
Idioms
at any rate (informal)
- used to say that a particular fact is true despite what has happened in the past or what may happen in the future
- Well, that's one good piece of news at any rate.
- I may be away on business next week but at any rate I'll be back by Friday.
- used to show that you are being more accurate about something that you have just said
- He said he'll be coming tomorrow. At any rate, I think that's what he said.
- used to show that what you have just said is not as important as what you are going to say
- There were maybe 60 or 70 people there. At any rate, the room was packed.
at a rate of knots
- (British English, informal) very quickly
- She's getting through her winnings at a rate of knots.
at this/that rate
- (informal) used to say what will happen if a particular situation continues to develop in the same way
- At this rate, we'll soon be bankrupt.
the going rate (for something)
- the usual amount of money paid for goods or services at a particular time
- They pay slightly more than the going rate.