ratio

American  

[rey-shoh, -shee-oh] / ˈreɪ ʃoʊ, -ʃiˌoʊ /

noun

plural

ratios

1. the relation between two similar magnitudes with respect to the number of times the first contains the second.

   the ratio of 5 to 2, written 5:2 or 5/2.

2. proportional relation; rate.

   the ratio between acceptances and rejections.

3. Finance. the relative value of gold and silver in a bimetallic currency system.

4. Sometimes the ratio (on Twitter) the proportion of replies to a tweet compared to the combined number of retweets and likes, where a high ratio usually indicates a barrage of negative replies: LOL, then I added the reply, “Don't mind me, I'm just here for the ratio.”

   How is the Twitter ratio any different from other kinds of outraged cybermobs?

   LOL, then I added the reply, “Don't mind me, I'm just here for the ratio.”

---

verb (used with object)

ratioed, ratio'd, ratioing

1. (on Twitter) to flood (a tweet or its author) with negative replies such that commenters as a group take control of the momentum and message away from the original poster.

   Political pundits trying to write provocative and edgy tweets are going to get ratioed sooner or later.

ratio British  

/ ˈreɪʃɪˌəʊ /

noun

1. a measure of the relative size of two classes expressible as a proportion

   the ratio of boys to girls is 2 to 1

2. maths a quotient of two numbers or quantities See also proportion

---

ratio Scientific  

/ rā′shō,rā′shē-ō′ /

1. A relationship between two quantities, normally expressed as the quotient of one divided by the other. For example, if a box contains six red marbles and four blue marbles, the ratio of red marbles to blue marbles is 6 to 4, also written 6:4. A ratio can also be expressed as a decimal or percentage.

---

ratio Cultural  

1. An expression of the relative size of two numbers by showing one divided by the other.

---

Usage

What else does ratio mean? On the social media platform Twitter, a ratio, or getting ratioed, is when replies to a tweet vastly outnumber likes or retweets. This means people are objecting to the tweet and considering its content bad.

Etymology

Origin of ratio

First recorded in 1630–40; from Latin ratiō “reckoning, account, calculation,” equivalent to rat-, past participle of rērī “to believe, think, imagine” + -iō, noun suffix from verb stems; -tion

Explanation

A ratio is the relationship in quantity or degree between two things: “The ratio of men to women on the construction site was ten to one.” This means there were ten men present and one woman. Use the word ratio when you want to make a comparison between two things. A ratio basically expresses a proportion. Often used in mathematics, the word ratio has many real world uses as well. This word is useful for everything from making salad dressing (an oil-to-vinegar ratio of three to one) to selecting a school for a child (consider the student-to-teacher ratio when making your decision).

Example Sentences

On the ratio chart against the United States Oil Fund, notice the bifurcation started in early February, several weeks before the Iran conflict began.

From Barron's • Apr. 16, 2026

Those producers use lots of acid—the ratio of acid to finished copper can be anywhere from 2:1 to 20:1, depending on the ore, according to research firm CRU.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

The company also anticipates steady shareholder returns with a dividend payout ratio around 50% of recurring net income.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

Evidence for this can be found in the Cboe index put-call ratio, which dropped to its lowest level since 2019 on Tuesday as traders piled into bullish call options.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 15, 2026

But when we listened closely to their interaction and measured the ratio of positive to negative emotions, we got a different story.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell

Related Words

• proportion
• quota
• rate
• scale