American Slang & Idioms Starting with "R"

108 entries

• RA (Resident Advisor) A student staff member who supervises a dormitory floor, enforcing rules and ...
• Racks Large amounts of money, typically thousands of dollars.
• Rad Cool, excellent, or impressive — short for radical.
• Rage To party extremely hard and wildly.
• Rage quit To angrily quit a game, activity, or situation out of frustration.
• Rager A wild, out-of-control party with lots of energy and people.
• Rain check A polite way to decline something now while expressing intent to do it later.
• Raining cats and dogs Raining very heavily; a torrential downpour.
• Rainy day fund Money saved for unexpected expenses or emergencies.
• Raise the bar To set a higher standard of quality or performance.
• Rally To recover from a setback and come back strong; to summon energy after feelin...
• Rallying cry A phrase or slogan that unites and motivates a group.
• Ramen noodles Cheap instant noodles that have become the iconic food of broke college stude...
• Ranch Ranch dressing — the Midwest's unofficial condiment, used on literally everyt...
• Rank and file The ordinary members of an organization, as opposed to leadership.
• Rap sheet A person's criminal record; a list of past arrests and convictions.
• Rat out To inform on or betray someone to authorities.
• Rat race The exhausting, competitive struggle of daily working life, especially corpor...
• Ratchet Something or someone that is trashy, messy, or of low quality.
• Ratio / Ratioed When a reply to a post gets significantly more likes or engagement than the o...
• Rattled Shaken up, disturbed, or unsettled by something unexpected or frightening.
• Rave A large, often all-night dance party featuring electronic music, light shows,...
• Raw Impressively authentic, unfiltered, or powerful in an unpolished way.
• Read between the lines To understand the hidden or implied meaning of something, not just the litera...
• Read someone To publicly call someone out or criticize them in a sharp, witty, and devasta...
• Read someone the riot act To severely scold or reprimand someone for their behavior.
• Read the room Pay attention to the mood and react appropriately; sense the atmosphere.
• Real one A genuinely loyal, authentic, and trustworthy person.
• Real quick A phrase added to make any request sound less imposing.
• Real recognize real Genuine people can identify other genuine people. Authentic individuals recog...
• Real talk A preface indicating you're about to be completely honest and serious.
• Reality check A moment or statement that forces someone to confront the truth and stop bein...
• Reboot To restart or refresh something completely, whether technology, a project, or...
• Rebound A person someone dates immediately after a breakup, often as a way to cope wi...
• Receipts Proof or evidence, especially screenshots or records that prove someone wrong.
• Recess A scheduled break during the school day for children to play outside; figurat...
• Reckon To think, suppose, or believe something to be true.
• Red carpet ready Dressed so immaculately that you could walk a celebrity red carpet event.
• Red flag A warning sign in a person's behavior that suggests they may be problematic a...
• Red tape Excessive bureaucracy and rigid official rules that slow things down.
• Red-light runner A driver who drives through an intersection after the traffic light has turne...
• Redd up To tidy up or clean a room — a regional term found in parts of Ohio and weste...
• Regular coffee In NYC, coffee with cream (or milk) and sugar — not black coffee, which is th...
• Relationship goals Describing a couple or relationship that is ideal and aspirational.
• Rent-free Occupying someone's thoughts constantly — living in their head without paying...
• Rep it out To push through and complete all the remaining repetitions of an exercise.
• Reply guy A man who constantly and persistently replies to someone's posts, especially ...
• Rerun A repeat broadcast of a TV show episode that has already aired.
• Resource-constrained Lacking sufficient people, budget, time, or other resources to accomplish som...
• Respectfully A word placed before a bold, blunt, or potentially inappropriate statement to...
• Rest day A day off from exercising to allow the body to recover and rebuild.
• Rest stop A roadside facility along a highway with restrooms, vending machines, and som...
• Retail therapy Shopping as a way to improve your mood or cope with stress.
• Reveille The morning wake-up call; the signal to start the day.
• Ride or die An extremely loyal person who will stick with you no matter what.
• Ride shotgun To sit in the front passenger seat of a vehicle.
• Ridgeline The top of a mountain ridge, often offering exposed hiking with panoramic views.
• Right in the feels Something that hits you emotionally, right where it matters most.
• Right of way The legal right to proceed first in traffic, or the general principle of who ...
• Right off the bat Immediately, right away, from the very start.
• Right on An expression of approval, agreement, or encouragement meaning 'exactly' or '...
• Rightsizing A euphemism for laying off employees or reducing the size of a company.
• Ring a bell To sound familiar; to vaguely recognize something.
• Rip-off Something that is grossly overpriced or a scam; to charge unfairly.
• Rizz Natural charm or charisma, especially the ability to attract romantic interes...
• Road hog A driver who takes up more than their share of the road or refuses to let oth...
• Road rage Extreme anger or aggression exhibited by a driver, often leading to dangerous...
• Road trip A long-distance journey by car, typically for leisure or adventure rather tha...
• Road warrior A person who travels frequently for work, spending a lot of time driving or f...
• Roadie A crew member who travels with a band on tour, handling equipment, sound, and...
• Roadkill An animal that has been hit and killed by a vehicle on the road.
• Roast To mock or make fun of someone aggressively but usually in a humorous, good-n...
• Rock climbing The sport of climbing natural rock faces or artificial walls using hands, fee...
• Rock star (employee) An exceptionally talented or high-performing employee.
• Rock with To support, associate with, or be loyal to someone or something. To be a fan of.
• Rocking Wearing something with confidence and making it look good.
• Rode hard and put away wet Looking exhausted, worn out, or rough; having been through a lot.
• Roger that Message received and understood; yes, I understand.
• Roll deep To travel or hang out with a large group of friends. To have a big crew with ...
• Roll with the punches To adapt to difficult situations; to handle adversity with flexibility.
• Rolling in it Extremely wealthy; having an abundance of money.
• Rom-com A romantic comedy — a light movie or show that combines romance and humor.
• Roman Empire Something you think about disproportionately often — your personal obsession ...
• Rookie mistake An error that a beginner or inexperienced person would make.
• Roommate drama Conflicts and tensions that arise from sharing a living space with a college ...
• Rotting Lying in bed or on the couch doing absolutely nothing — existing in a state o...
• Roughing it Camping or living with minimal comforts and basic conditions.
• Round A set of drinks bought for everyone in a group at the same time.
• Rubber stamp To approve something automatically without real review or consideration; also...
• Rubbernecking Slowing down to stare at an accident, construction, or anything unusual on th...
• Rule of thumb A general guideline or practical principle based on experience rather than ex...
• Run a tab To keep a running bill at a bar, paying for all drinks at the end.
• Run game To manipulate, deceive, or use charm to get what you want from someone.
• Run interference To intervene on someone's behalf, blocking obstacles or distractions for them.
• Run it back To do something again, replay something, or give it another try.
• Run it up To accumulate money or success; to increase wealth or score.
• Run it up the flagpole To present an idea to see how people react; to test public response.
• Run the numbers To calculate or analyze data to evaluate a decision.
• Run the show To be in charge; to be the person who makes all the important decisions.
• Run up To confront or approach someone aggressively. Also used as a warning: 'run up...
• Run-of-the-mill Ordinary; nothing special or exceptional.
• Runner's high A feeling of euphoria experienced during or after prolonged exercise.
• Running on fumes Nearly out of money, energy, or resources; barely surviving.
• Runs in the family A trait, talent, condition, or tendency that is common among family members a...
• Runway ready Looking polished and stylish enough to walk a fashion runway — dressed to pro...
• Rush hour The peak traffic period when most people are commuting to or from work, typic...
• Rush week The recruitment period when fraternities and sororities invite potential new ...
• Rust Belt The stretch of Midwestern states that experienced industrial decline, named f...