Showing results for "ratchet"

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Slang dictionary results for ratchet.

ratchet

¹ American  

[rach-it] / ˈrætʃ ɪt /

noun

• ratchets
  plural

1. a toothed bar with which a pawl engages.

2. (not in technical use) a pawl or the like used with a ratchet or ratchet wheel.

3. a mechanism consisting of such a bar or wheel with the pawl.

4. ratchet wheel.

5. a steady progression up or down.

   the upward ratchet of oil prices.

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verb (used with or without object)

1. to move by degrees (often followed by up ordown ).

   to ratchet prices up;

   Interest rates have been ratcheting downward.

ratchet ² American  

[rach-it] / ˈrætʃ ɪt /

Also ratched

adjective

Slang.

1. flashy, unrefined, etc.; low-class.

   ratchet girls wearing too much makeup.

2. exhibiting or affirming low-class traits in a way that is considered authentic.

   Better to stay a ratchet bitch than become a bougie poser like her.

3. extremely good; awesome.

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ratchet British  

/ ˈrætʃɪt /

noun

1. a device in which a toothed rack or wheel is engaged by a pawl to permit motion in one direction only

2. the toothed rack or wheel forming part of such a device

---

verb

1. to operate using a ratchet

2. to increase or decrease, esp irreversibly

   electricity prices will ratchet up this year

   Hitchcock ratchets up the tension once again

Usage

What else does ratchet mean? Ratchet is a slang term that can mean "exciting" or "excellent," often used as a term of empowerment among women. Some may also use ratchet for when they are feeling "bad" in some way. The term has been previously used, however, as an insult characterizing a woman as being "overdramatic" or "promiscuous."

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• ratchetness
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• ratchets
  plural

Etymology

Origin of ratchet¹

First recorded in 1650–60; alteration of French rochet; Middle French rocquet “a blunt lance-head,” from Germanic; compare Old High German rocko, roccho “distaff”

Origin of ratchet²

First recorded in 1990–95; from a dance and genre of hip-hop music originating in Shreveport, Louisiana

Explanation

A ratchet is a gadget with mechanical teeth on a wheel that moves in only one direction. Therefore, ratcheting is to move something slowly in one direction. A ratchet is a device that allows you to move or crank something in a specific direction: a ratchet only moves one way. You can tell a ratchet by the wheel of mechanical teeth. Ratchets are part of larger devices, especially in factories. Also, if you ratchet something up or down, you're gradually moving it in that direction. You can ratchet something physically, or a great speaker could ratchet up the energy in a crowd.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ratchet ratchets

The developer said it needed time to ratchet up security after a model escaped its lab-test “sandbox” and hacked an outside firm.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

General contractor Enrique Valdez of Azteca 111 Builder Inc. was tasked with cutting the ratchet straps securing Pinky, seemingly putting an end to the bird’s reign.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026

But the controversial golden ratchet will remain in place.

From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026

The bartenders and servers, some dressed in light-up rave gear, were trying to ratchet up excitement by passing around stickers.

From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2026

A venerable tradition, dating back to the ancient Greek orators, teaches that if you don’t know what you’re talking about, just ratchet up the level of difficulty and no one will ever know.

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner

The uncertainty ratchets up after Max heads to Malta, the small archipelago nation in the Mediterranean, to translate the work of an up-and-coming poet, and Leonie discovers that she’s pregnant.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

That is until Thatcher ratchets up the eerie tension tenfold while Refn builds his gorgeous fantasy around her.

From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2026

Richard is fully prepared for the World Cup: he has a passion for England memorabilia, including a scarf touched by King Charles, and a collection of hats, ratchets and horns.

From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026

As tech companies’ appetite for data centers ratchets up demand for fiber-optic cables, drillers, linemen and splicers are pulling in soaring pay nationwide.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 4, 2026

I love how the sky stays light right into evening, how Lake Michigan gets busy with sailboats and the heat ratchets up to the point that it’s almost impossible to recall the struggles of winter.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Related Words

• disk
• drum
• roller