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Synonyms

ratio

American  
[rey-shoh, -shee-oh] / ˈreɪ ʃoʊ, -ʃiˌoʊ /

noun

plural

ratios

  1. the relation between two similar magnitudes with respect to the number of times the first contains the second.

    the ratio of 5 to 2, written 5:2 or 5/2.

  2. proportional relation; rate.

    the ratio between acceptances and rejections.

  3. Finance. the relative value of gold and silver in a bimetallic currency system.

  4. Sometimes the ratio (on Twitter) the proportion of replies to a tweet compared to the combined number of retweets and likes, where a high ratio usually indicates a barrage of negative replies: LOL, then I added the reply, “Don't mind me, I'm just here for the ratio.”

    How is the Twitter ratio any different from other kinds of outraged cybermobs?

    LOL, then I added the reply, “Don't mind me, I'm just here for the ratio.”

verb (used with object)

ratioed, ratio'd, ratioing

  1. (on Twitter) to flood (a tweet or its author) with negative replies such that commenters as a group take control of the momentum and message away from the original poster.

    Political pundits trying to write provocative and edgy tweets are going to get ratioed sooner or later.
ratio British  
/ ˈreɪʃɪˌəʊ /

noun

  1. a measure of the relative size of two classes expressible as a proportion

    the ratio of boys to girls is 2 to 1

  2. maths a quotient of two numbers or quantities See also proportion

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
ratio Scientific  
/ rā′shō,rā′shē-ō′ /

  1. A relationship between two quantities, normally expressed as the quotient of one divided by the other. For example, if a box contains six red marbles and four blue marbles, the ratio of red marbles to blue marbles is 6 to 4, also written 6:4. A ratio can also be expressed as a decimal or percentage.

ratio Cultural  

  1. An expression of the relative size of two numbers by showing one divided by the other.

Usage

What else does ratio mean? On the social media platform Twitter, a ratio, or getting ratioed, is when replies to a tweet vastly outnumber likes or retweets. This means people are objecting to the tweet and considering its content bad.

Etymology

Origin of ratio

First recorded in 1630–40; from Latin ratiō “reckoning, account, calculation,” equivalent to rat-, past participle of rērī “to believe, think, imagine” + -iō, noun suffix from verb stems; -tion

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Formula 1's governing body the FIA said on Saturday that a change to the way the compression ratio was measured would be introduced on 1 June, with a further revision for the 2027 season.

From BBC

Caterpillar’s price-to-earnings ratio soared from 16 times to 31 times, now a premium to the S&P 500’s 22 times multiple.

From Barron's

Fiscal targets, including the deficit-to-GDP ratio and bond issuance, are also expected.

From The Wall Street Journal

Some cybersecurity names are part of his defense basket, but he’s considering adding the sector explicitly as it’s trading on a 22 times forward price/earnings ratio, almost half the historic average of 40.

From MarketWatch

Asset quality is forecast to remain stable, with net credit costs at 20 bps and a cost-to-income ratio below 49%, she says.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.