n.

1. a row or line of people (especially soldiers or police) standing abreast of one another
   
   • the entrance was guarded by ranks of policemen
2. relative status
   
   • his salary was determined by his rank and seniority
3. the ordinary members of an organization (such as the enlisted soldiers of an army);
   rank and file
   
   • the strike was supported by the union rank and file
   • he rose from the ranks to become a colonel
4. position in a social hierarchy;
   social station, social status, social rank
   
   • the British are more aware of social status than Americans are
5. the body of members of an organization or group;
   membership
   
   • they polled their membership
   • they found dissension in their own ranks
   • he joined the ranks of the unemployed

v.

1. take or have a position relative to others
   
   • This painting ranks among the best in the Western World
2. assign a rank or rating to;
   rate, range, order, grade, place
   
   • how would you rank these students?
   • The restaurant is rated highly in the food guide
3. take precedence or surpass others in rank;
   outrank

adj.

1. very fertile; producing profuse growth
   
   • rank earth
2. very offensive in smell or taste
   
   • a rank cigar
3. conspicuously and outrageously bad or reprehensible;
   crying(a), egregious, flagrant, glaring, gross
   
   • a crying shame
   • an egregious lie
   • flagrant violation of human rights
   • a glaring error
   • gross ineptitude
   • gross injustice
   • rank treachery
4. complete and without restriction or qualification; sometimes used informally as intensifiers;
   absolute, downright, out-and-out(a), rank(a), right-down, sheer(a)
   
   • 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
5. growing profusely
   
   • rank jungle vegetation