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rate ADJECTIVES/NOUN + rate high • Rates of adult illiteracy are still too high. low • The hospital’s death rate is the lowest in the region. a rising/falling rate • A falling mortality rate led to a gradual increase in the proportion of the aged in the population. the unemployment rate • In April, the unemployment rate fell to 4.9 percent, a 23-year low. the death/mortality rate • The death rate among the homeless is three times higher than the rest of the population. the birth rate • In many developing countries, birth rates are falling. the crime rate • Our crime rate is one of the lowest in the country. the divorce rate • The UK has one of the highest divorce rates in Europe. the success/failure rate • The success rate is still extremely low. the survival rate • The survival rate of twins and triplets has increased in recent years. sb’s heart/pulse rate (= the number of beats per minute ) • A miner’s resting heart rate can be between 40 and 60 beats a minute. metabolic rate (= the rate at which the body changes food into energy ) • Metabolic rate rises with any form of activity. verbs the rate goes up ( also the rate rises/increases more formal ) • The crime rate just keeps going up. the rate goes down ( also the rate falls/decreases more formal ) • We are expecting unemployment rates to fall. rate 2 adjectives high • You ought to switch to an account that pays a higher rate of interest. low • Wage rates in the industry are still too low, he says. a special/reduced rate (= a lower charge ) • Reduced rates are available for groups of 10 or more visitors. the hourly/weekly rate (= the amount someone is paid per hour or per week ) • Women have lower hourly rates of pay than men. the going rate (= the usual amount paid ) • She could not afford to pay them the going rate. a flat/fixed rate (= one that does not change ) • Profits were taxed at a flat rate of 45 percent. the interest rate (= the amount of interest charged on a loan or paid on savings ) • Interest rates have remained high. a mortgage rate (= the rate charged by a bank on a loan to buy a house ) • Higher mortgage rates should slow down the rapid rise in house prices. a tax rate • People objected to higher property tax rates. the exchange rate (= the value of the money of one country compared to the money of another country ) • the exchange rate between the dollar and sterling the wage rate • What is the hourly wage rate? the base rate British English (= the rate of interest set by the Bank of England, on which all British banks base their charges ) • The interest charged on your overdraft changes in line with bank base rates. the prime rate (= the lowest rate of interest at which companies can borrow money from a bank ) • The amount above the prime rate is determined by the bank’s assessment of the risk involved in making the loan. phrases the rate of interest/pay/tax etc • They believe that Labour would raise the basic rate of tax. at a rate of • Some customers are paying interest at a rate of over 15%. verbs raise/put up the rate • If the banks raise interest rates, this will reduce the demand for credit. cut/reduce/lower a rate • The Halifax Building Society is to cut its mortgage rate by 0.7 percent. rate 3 adjectives a faster/slower rate • The urban population has grown at a faster rate than the rural population. a rapid rate • The plant’s ability to thrive in these conditions is partly due to its rapid rate of growth. an alarming rate • The alarming rate of increase in pollution levels has concerned environmentalists. a tremendous/phenomenal rate • He started to produce movies at a tremendous rate. an unprecedented rate (= a rate that is faster than ever before ) • We are losing species at an unprecedented rate. a constant/steady rate • The process takes place at a constant rate.
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noun speed/frequency ADJ. constant, expected, regular, steady | slow the slow rate of change | fast, rapid | alarming, phenomenal The costs of the project are rising at an alarming rate. | low There is a low survival rate among babies born before 22 weeks. | high | ever-increasing, rocketing | seasonally-adjusted The seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate in December stood at 5%. | success | divorce, marriage | death, mortality | survival | birth, fertility | accident | crime | growth, inflation | metabolic, pulse, respiratory We need to eat less as we get older and our metabolic rate slows down. VERB + RATE improve, increase, speed up | cut, hold down, reduce, slow down trying to hold down the rate of inflation | stabilize | maintain | increase RATE + VERB be/go/shoot up, grow, increase, rise, rocket, skyrocket, soar | be/come/go down, decline, decrease, drop, fall, plummet, plunge, slow, slip PREP. at a/the ~ The water was escaping at a rate of 200 gallons a minute. amount of money paid ADJ. competitive, cheap, low, moderate, reasonable We have a wide range of vehicles available for hire at competitive rates. Calls are cheap rate after 6 p.m. | extortionate, high | excellent, good | poor The account offers a poor rate of interest. | fixed, flat You can opt to pay a flat rate for unlimited Internet access. | usual | going I'll pay you at the going rate (= the present usual rate of payment). | variable | annual, hourly, weekly | base, basic, standard | top paying the top rate of tax | average | market current market rates for borrowing | group, preferential, reduced Ask about the special group rates for entrance to the house and gardens. | bank, exchange, interest, lending, mortgage, tax VERB + RATE determine, fix, set | increase, lift, put up, raise | cut, lower, reduce | hold We will hold these rates until 1 April. | charge They charge the usual rate of interest. | pay | give (sb), offer (sb) RATE + VERB go/shoot up, increase, rise Their hourly rates have gone up. | come/go down, drop | fluctuate Exchange rates are fluctuating wildly. | apply to sth Standard rates of interest apply to these loans. PREP. at a/the ~ borrowing money at a high rate of interest | ~ for the average rate for an unskilled worker | ~ of an increase in the rate of taxation PHRASES a drop in interest rates, a rise in mortgage rates, etc. a one-point rise in base lending rates | a rate of return safe investments which give a good rate of returnPER CENT (for more verbs)