rating
gb/ɹˈeɪtɪŋ/ us/ɹˈeɪtɪŋ/
B1
English
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
quantity
1
score showing quality or value
a score that shows how good something is
Usage pattern:
a rating of [number]; [something] has a [number]-star rating
Common mistake:
Don’t confuse rating (the score) with review (the written opinion).
Synonyms
score (Often a number from a test or system.)
|
grade (Common in school or when judging quality.)
|
ranking (Emphasizes position compared to others.)
Collocations
five-star rating
|customer rating
|user rating
|average rating
|overall rating
|give something a rating
|get a rating
|rating out of ten
|high rating
|low rating
Themes
daily_life
|shopping
|media
|internet
Examples
- This restaurant has a 4.7 rating on Google.
- The app’s rating dropped after the last update.
- I usually avoid products with a low rating.
Learner examples
- The movie has a good rating.
- I gave the hotel a five-star rating.
Noun
B2
property
2
official age-suitability classification
a label that says who can watch or play something
Usage pattern:
an [age] rating; a rating of [PG/12/R]
Common mistake:
This meaning is about age suitability, not quality (a ‘good rating’).
Synonyms
classification (General word for official categories.)
|
certificate (Used in some countries for film classifications (e.g., ‘15 certificate’).)
Collocations
age rating
|movie rating
|film rating
|TV rating
|content rating
|parental rating
|R rating
|PG rating
|rating system
|rated for violence
Themes
media
|law
|family
Examples
- The film has a 15 rating, so kids can’t go in.
- Parents complained about the game’s rating.
- The show’s rating was changed after a review.
Learner examples
- This movie has an R rating.
- Check the age rating before you buy it.
Noun
business
B2
quantity
3
audience measurement for a program
a number showing how many people watched or listened
Usage pattern:
ratings for [show/channel]; the ratings are up/down
Synonyms
viewership (Focuses on number of viewers rather than the metric.)
|
audience share (Emphasizes percentage compared with competitors.)
Collocations
TV ratings
|viewer ratings
|strong ratings
|poor ratings
|ratings fell
|ratings rose
|ratings war
|overnight ratings
|ratings report
|ratings hit
Themes
media
|business
Examples
- The series was cancelled because of low ratings.
- The debate delivered record ratings for the channel.
- Ratings jumped after the new host arrived.
Learner examples
- The show has high ratings.
- Ratings went down this week.
Noun
business
C1
property
4
assessment of credit risk
an official judgment of how safe it is to lend money
Usage pattern:
a rating of [AAA/BBB/etc.]; a ratings downgrade/upgrade
Synonyms
credit score (Usually a personal number; not the same as an agency rating.)
|
risk assessment (More general and not necessarily expressed as a grade.)
Collocations
credit rating
|bond rating
|investment-grade rating
|rating agency
|ratings downgrade
|ratings upgrade
|rating outlook
|sovereign rating
|maintain a rating
|lose a rating
Themes
finance
|business
Examples
- The company’s rating was cut after profits fell.
- Investors watch changes in a country’s rating closely.
- A strong rating can lower borrowing costs.
Learner examples
- The bank checked the company’s rating.
- Their rating improved this year.
Noun
B2
process
5
act of judging and scoring
the act of giving a score
Usage pattern:
rating of [something]; rating [something] on a scale of [number]
Common mistake:
Use rate for the verb (e.g., ‘rate this app’); rating is the noun for the process/result.
Synonyms
evaluation (General word; may not involve a numeric score.)
|
assessment (Often more formal or structured.)
Collocations
rating process
|peer rating
|performance rating
|rating scale
|rating criteria
|rating exercise
|rating tool
|rating survey
|self-rating
|rating system
Themes
work
|education
|internet
Examples
- The site asks for rating after each purchase.
- Manager rating happens every six months.
- The study compared different methods of rating pain.
Learner examples
- Rating is easy on this website.
- We did a rating of the service.
Noun
technical
C1
quantity
6
stated safe limit or capacity
the maximum safe level a device can handle
Usage pattern:
a rating of [number] [unit]; [something] has a [power/load/voltage] rating
Synonyms
capacity (General term; may not be an official stated limit.)
|
specification (Any technical detail, not only limits.)
Collocations
power rating
|load rating
|voltage rating
|current rating
|temperature rating
|pressure rating
|rated capacity
|maximum rating
|minimum rating
|safety rating
Themes
technology
|work
Examples
- Check the cable’s current rating before you use it.
- The motor has a power rating of 2 kW.
- The ladder’s load rating is printed on the side.
Learner examples
- This battery has a low power rating.
- Look at the rating before you plug it in.
Noun
technical
C2
role
7
enlisted member of the navy
an enlisted sailor in the navy
Usage pattern:
a naval rating; ratings and officers
Synonyms
enlisted sailor (Clear modern equivalent in general English.)
Antonyms
officer (A commissioned member, not enlisted.)
Collocations
naval rating
|able seaman rating
|junior rating
|senior rating
|ratings and officers
|mess for ratings
Themes
military
Examples
- He joined the Navy as a rating and later trained as an officer.
- The ship’s ratings were assigned to different watches.
- The rules were different for officers and ratings.
Grammar
Dictionary form
rating
IPA
GB/ɹˈeɪtɪŋ/
US/ɹˈeɪtɪŋ/
Syllables & stress
rat - ing (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (rat)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: rating
- Plural: rating, ratings
Expressions
age rating
1/ˈeɪd͡ʒ ɹˈeɪtɪŋ/
fixed phrase
official age suitability label
a label that tells the right age
Examples
- The game’s age rating is 16+.
- The platform shows the age rating next to the title.
- They changed the age rating after re-editing the film.
credit rating
1/kɹˈɛdɪt ɹˈeɪtɪŋ/
fixed phrase
business
measure of borrower reliability
a grade that shows how safe it is to lend to someone
Examples
- A higher credit rating can reduce interest costs.
- The firm’s credit rating was downgraded after the merger.
- They’re trying to protect the country’s credit rating.
highly rated
1/hˈaɪli ɹˈeɪtɪd/
fixed phrase
having very good ratings
with very good scores from people
Examples
- We booked a highly rated hotel near the station.
- It’s a highly rated course with excellent feedback.
- She recommended a highly rated mechanic.
power rating
1/pˈaʊɚ ɹˈeɪtɪŋ/
fixed phrase
technical
maximum designed power level
the highest safe power for a device
Examples
- The charger has a power rating of 65 watts.
- Use a fuse with the correct power rating.
- The speaker’s power rating is listed on the box.
rating scale
1/ɹˈeɪtɪŋ skˈeɪl/
fixed phrase
system for giving scores
a list of numbers/levels used for scoring
Examples
- The survey uses a rating scale from 1 to 10.
- Pain is recorded on a simple rating scale.
- Make sure everyone understands the rating scale.
ratings and reviews
1/ɹˈeɪtɪŋz ˈænd ɹɪvjˈuz/
fixed phrase
scores plus written opinions
scores and written comments from users
Examples
- I always read the ratings and reviews before buying electronics.
- The store removed fake ratings and reviews.
- Ratings and reviews help new users decide quickly.
star rating
1/stˈɑɹ ɹˈeɪtɪŋ/
fixed phrase
rating shown with stars
a score using stars
Examples
- The product has a five-star rating from over 3,000 buyers.
- I always check the star rating before booking a hotel.
- The app’s star rating improved after the bug fix.
tv ratings
1/tˌɛləvˈɪʒən ɹˈeɪtɪŋz/
fixed phrase
business
numbers for TV audience size
numbers showing how many people watch a show
Examples
- The finale got huge TV ratings.
- TV ratings fell during the holiday weekend.
- Advertisers pay more for shows with strong TV ratings.