Meaning & use
rash
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivecomparabledisapproving
Done or said too fast, without stopping to think about the risks or what might follow.
Grammar: Can be used before a noun or after be: a rash promise, or 'that was rash'.
Patterns
- a rash decision
- It was rash of someone to do something
- be rash to do something
Quitting your job in a fit of anger was a rash decision.
It was rash of him to lend the money to someone he had just met.
I made a rash promise and have regretted it ever since.
nouncountablemedical
An area of skin that turns red, bumpy or itchy, often because of an allergy, infection or irritation.
Grammar: Usually singular with a: a rash on his arm; you 'get', 'have' or 'develop' a rash.
Patterns
- a rash on something
- come out in a rash
- break out in a rash
The baby developed a red rash across her chest.
He came out in a rash after eating shellfish.
The cream soon cleared up the rash on my wrist.
nounusually singularfigurative
A sudden series of similar, usually unwelcome events or things appearing in a short time.
Grammar: Almost always used as a rash of plus a plural noun: a rash of complaints.
Patterns
- a rash of something
The town has suffered a rash of burglaries this month.
A rash of injuries forced the team to cancel its next game.
There was a rash of new coffee shops on the high street last year.
Word forms
| comparative | rasher |
|---|---|
| superlative | rashest |
| plural (noun) | rashes |
Common combinations
- rash decision
- Don't make a rash decision while you are upset.
- rash promise
- She made a rash promise she could not keep.
- rash action
- The coach warned against any rash action before the final.
- skin rash
- A skin rash is a common reaction to some medicines.
- nappy/diaper rash
- The cream is meant to prevent diaper rash.
- a rash of incidents
- A rash of incidents led the school to tighten security.
Synonyms and how they differ
- hasty
- Hasty stresses speed and lack of care, but rash adds the idea of taking a risk that you could regret.
- reckless
- Reckless suggests ignoring danger on purpose, and is stronger and more about risk to safety than rash.
- impulsive
- Impulsive describes a person's habit of acting on sudden urges, while rash usually describes a single act or choice.
- hotheaded
- Hotheaded points to anger as the cause of the hurried behavior, which rash does not specify.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: rash or rasher?
rash vs rasher
A rasher is a thin slice of bacon; it looks like the comparative of rash but is a different word.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'rash' correctly in the sense of acting without thinking?
Choose one answer.
'A rash decision' is a hurried choice made without thinking. The other options misuse the word: rash is not an adverb, and the noun means a skin condition or a run of events.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “rash”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.