rank

(noun) a row or line of people (especially soldiers or police) standing abreast of one another. Examples: "The entrance was guarded by ranks of policemen."

(noun) relative status. Examples: "His salary was determined by his rank and seniority."

(noun) the ordinary members of an organization (such as the enlisted soldiers of an army). Synonyms: rank and file. Examples: "The strike was supported by the union rank and file." "He rose from the ranks to become a colonel."

(noun) position in a social hierarchy. Synonyms: social station, social status, social rank. Examples: "The british are more aware of social status than americans are."

(noun) the body of members of an organization or group. Synonyms: membership. Examples: "They polled their membership." "They found dissension in their own ranks." "He joined the ranks of the unemployed."

(verb) take or have a position relative to others. Examples: "This painting ranks among the best in the western world."

(verb) assign a rank or rating to. Synonyms: rate, range, order, grade, place. Examples: "How would you rank these students?." "The restaurant is rated highly in the food guide."

(verb) take precedence or surpass others in rank. Synonyms: outrank.

(adj) very fertile; producing profuse growth. Examples: "Rank earth."

(adj) very offensive in smell or taste. Examples: "A rank cigar."

(adj) conspicuously and outrageously bad or reprehensible. Synonyms: crying(prenominal), egregious, flagrant, glaring, gross. Examples: "A crying shame." "An egregious lie." "Flagrant violation of human rights." "A glaring error." "Gross ineptitude." "Gross injustice." "Rank treachery."

(adj) complete and without restriction or qualification; sometimes used informally as intensifiers. Synonyms: absolute, downright, out-and-out(prenominal), rank(prenominal), right-down, sheer(prenominal). Examples: "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."

(adj) growing profusely. Examples: "Rank jungle vegetation."