Race
/reɪs/
Definitions
3 meaningsA competition of speed, often involving running, driving, or other activities.
/reɪs/
A competition of speed
The marathon is a grueling race.
💡 Simply: A race is when people or animals try to be the fastest to get to the end of something, like a track or a road. Think of a race car competition!
👶 For kids: A race is when people or animals try to run or move as fast as they can to win!
More Examples
She won the race by a hair's breadth.
The annual boat race is a popular event.
How It's Used
"The horse race was exciting."
"The car race attracted a large crowd."
A group of people sharing similar physical or social characteristics.
/reɪs/
A group of people sharing similar physical characteristics
The company is committed to promoting racial diversity.
💡 Simply: When we talk about race, we're talking about groups of people who share things like skin color or where their families came from. It’s how we sometimes talk about the different groups of people in the world.
👶 For kids: Race is when people have things in common like the color of their skin or where their families came from.
More Examples
Racial tensions can lead to conflict.
The study examines the impact of race on educational outcomes.
How It's Used
"Discussions about race are often complex."
"Racial discrimination is a serious issue."
To compete in a race.
/reɪs/
To compete in a race
The cyclists race through the city streets.
💡 Simply: When you race, you're trying to go as fast as you can to win. Like when you and your friends have a running race to the playground!
👶 For kids: To race is to go very fast to try to win!
More Examples
They are racing to finish the project before the deadline.
The car engines roared as they raced around the track.
How It's Used
"They race motorcycles every weekend."
"They are racing against time to complete the project."
Synonyms
Championship
Competition
Contest
Event
Ancestry
Descent
Ethnicity
Group
Compete
Dash
Idioms & expressions
the rat race
A way of life in which people are caught up in a competitive struggle for wealth or power.
"He decided to leave the rat race and pursue his passions."
against the clock/time
To do something quickly because you have a limited amount of time.
"We were racing against the clock to finish the project."
From Old Norse *rás* ('a running, course'), related to Proto-Germanic *rēsō* ('to run'). The sense of competition developed later.
The word 'race' has evolved from describing a rapid course or current to include concepts of competition and human classification.