Rats are small animals that often pop up in everyday language through idioms. This post will explain some common rat-related idioms, what they mean, and how they are used.
Rat Idioms
Here are 20 rat idioms in English with meaning and example sentence for each.
Smell a rat
Meaning: Suspect something is wrong.
Example: I smelled a rat when he hurried out.
Like a rat up a drainpipe
Meaning: Move very quickly.
Example: He vanished like a rat up a drainpipe.
Rat race
Meaning: Stressful, competitive routine.
Example: I’m tired of the rat race.
Desert a sinking ship
Meaning: Leave a failing enterprise.
Example: He deserted the sinking ship when profits fell.
Rat on someone
Meaning: Betray someone by telling secrets.
Example: He wouldn’t rat on his friends.
Rats desert a sinking ship
Meaning: People leave a failing group.
Example: As troubles began, everyone deserted the sinking ship.
Rat’s nest
Meaning: A messy, disorganized place.
Example: His desk was a rat’s nest of papers.
Lab rat
Meaning: A person or thing used for experiments.
Example: He felt like a lab rat in those tests.
Rat out
Meaning: Inform on someone.
Example: She ratted out her coworker to the boss.
Ratbag
Meaning: A despicable person.
Example: He’s such an old ratbag.
Pack rat
Meaning: Someone who saves or hoards unnecessary items.
Example: My uncle is a real pack rat.
Like rats from a sinking ship
Meaning: Quickly abandoning a failing venture.
Example: They fled like rats from a sinking ship.
Rat someone out
Meaning: Expose someone’s wrongdoing.
Example: He ratted someone out to avoid trouble.
You dirty rat
Meaning: Expression of betrayal or disgust.
Example: “You dirty rat,” he yelled.
Rat’s ass
Meaning: Not care at all.
Example: I don’t give a rat’s ass about it.
As quiet as a mouse
Meaning: Very quiet, silent.
Example: She sat as quiet as a mouse during the meeting.
To smell a rat
Meaning: To suspect trickery or deception.
Example: He smelled a rat in their deal.
Rat-infested
Meaning: Full of rats, implying neglect.
Example: The old warehouse was rat-infested.
Like ratting on someone
Meaning: Similar to betraying someone.
Example: Betraying him felt like ratting on a brother.
Rat-like cunning
Meaning: Very sly or cunning.
Example: He used his rat-like cunning to win.
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