Rats are small animals that have been part of stories and sayings for a long time. People often think of rats as sneaky, clever, or quick. Because of this, many idioms use rats to describe certain types of behavior. Some of these idioms talk about being afraid, being dishonest, or escaping from problems.
In this article, you will learn different idioms about rats and what they mean. Each one will have a simple meaning and an example you can understand. These sayings are fun to learn and can help you speak and understand English better. Let’s explore what it means when someone “smells a rat” or “rats out” a friend.
Idioms About Rats
1. Smell a rat
Meaning: To feel that something is wrong or suspicious
Example Sentence:
• I smelled a rat when she started acting strange.
• He knew something was wrong and said, “I smell a rat.”
Other ways to say: Be suspicious, feel something is off
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the idea of a rat hiding somewhere, like a hidden problem
Usage: Used when you feel something isn’t right
2. Rat out
Meaning: To tell on someone or betray them
Example Sentence:
• He ratted out his friend to the teacher.
• She got in trouble because her brother ratted her out.
Other ways to say: Tell on, snitch
Fun Fact/Origin: From the idea of rats escaping or turning on others
Usage: Used when someone tells on another person
3. Rat race
Meaning: A busy and stressful life trying to get ahead
Example Sentence:
• My parents say their work feels like a rat race.
• He left the city to escape the rat race.
Other ways to say: Busy life, endless race
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from lab rats running in circles
Usage: Used when life feels too fast or competitive
4. Like a drowned rat
Meaning: Soaking wet and messy
Example Sentence:
• After the rain, I looked like a drowned rat.
• She came in from the storm like a drowned rat.
Other ways to say: Soaked, dripping wet
Fun Fact/Origin: Rats often end up wet during floods or rain
Usage: Used to describe someone very wet
5. Pack rat
Meaning: A person who keeps too many things
Example Sentence:
• My aunt is a pack rat—her garage is full of old boxes.
• He won’t throw anything away. He’s a pack rat.
Other ways to say: Hoarder, collector
Fun Fact/Origin: Pack rats are animals that collect items for their nests
Usage: Used to describe someone who saves too much stuff
6. Rat on
Meaning: To inform against someone
Example Sentence:
• Don’t rat on your teammates.
• He ratted on his friend to avoid getting in trouble.
Other ways to say: Snitch, tell on
Fun Fact/Origin: Similar to “rat out,” tied to betrayal
Usage: Used when someone tells on another person
7. As nervous as a rat in a trap
Meaning: Very scared or stressed
Example Sentence:
• He looked as nervous as a rat in a trap during the test.
• I was as nervous as a rat in a trap before my turn.
Other ways to say: Very nervous, shaking with fear
Fun Fact/Origin: Rats panic when trapped
Usage: Used to describe extreme nervousness
8. Look like the cat that ate the rat
Meaning: Looking sneaky or guilty
Example Sentence:
• She looked like the cat that ate the rat when I caught her.
• He smiled like the cat that ate the rat after winning.
Other ways to say: Guilty, smug
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from stories of cats catching rats
Usage: Used when someone looks sneaky or pleased
9. Rat-faced
Meaning: Someone with sharp or sneaky looks
Example Sentence:
• That villain in the cartoon had a rat-faced grin.
• He gave a rat-faced smirk before lying.
Other ways to say: Sneaky-looking, untrustworthy
Fun Fact/Origin: Based on the shape and behavior of rats
Usage: Often used in stories to describe bad characters
10. Rat hole
Meaning: A small, messy, or unpleasant place
Example Sentence:
• His room was such a rat hole.
• They stayed in a rat hole of a hotel.
Other ways to say: Dump, mess
Fun Fact/Origin: Based on small holes where rats live
Usage: Used to describe dirty or crowded spaces
11. Rat trap
Meaning: A tricky or dangerous situation
Example Sentence:
• The old building was a rat trap waiting to fall.
• Don’t get caught in a rat trap of lies.
Other ways to say: Trap, danger
Fun Fact/Origin: Rat traps are used to catch and harm rats
Usage: Used when describing a risky or dangerous setup
12. Dirty rat
Meaning: A dishonest or untrustworthy person
Example Sentence:
• That dirty rat lied to everyone.
• You can’t trust that dirty rat—he always cheats.
Other ways to say: Liar, cheat
Fun Fact/Origin: Popular in old gangster movies
Usage: Used as an insult for someone who betrays
13. As sneaky as a rat
Meaning: Being very sly or tricky
Example Sentence:
• He snuck in, as sneaky as a rat.
• She was as sneaky as a rat when she took the last cookie.
Other ways to say: Tricky, sly
Fun Fact/Origin: Rats are known for hiding and sneaking
Usage: Used to describe sneaky behavior
14. Rat out the nest
Meaning: To reveal a group doing something wrong
Example Sentence:
• The police ratted out the nest of thieves.
• The boy ratted out the group cheating on the test.
Other ways to say: Expose a group, uncover wrongdoers
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the image of finding a rat nest
Usage: Used when revealing many people involved in bad actions
15. As scared as a rat
Meaning: Extremely frightened
Example Sentence:
• He was as scared as a rat in a thunderstorm.
• She looked as scared as a rat during the horror movie.
Other ways to say: Terrified, shaking
Fun Fact/Origin: Rats are small and often scared of bigger animals
Usage: Used to show someone is very afraid
16. Rat’s nest
Meaning: A messy or confusing place or situation
Example Sentence:
• His desk is a rat’s nest of papers.
• That whole situation is a rat’s nest of problems.
Other ways to say: Tangle, mess
Fun Fact/Origin: A real rat’s nest is messy and hard to clean
Usage: Used when things are disorderly
17. Catch a rat
Meaning: To find someone doing something wrong
Example Sentence:
• The teacher caught a rat trying to cheat.
• We caught a rat in the act of stealing lunch.
Other ways to say: Catch a cheater, catch someone
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from catching a rat doing something bad
Usage: Used when someone is caught doing wrong
18. As quick as a rat
Meaning: Very fast
Example Sentence:
• She moved through the crowd as quick as a rat.
• He was as quick as a rat grabbing that toy.
Other ways to say: Super fast, quick
Fun Fact/Origin: Rats are fast and hard to catch
Usage: Used when someone moves fast
19. Desert like rats
Meaning: To run away quickly in fear
Example Sentence:
• The kids deserted like rats when the teacher came.
• They deserted like rats when the alarm rang.
Other ways to say: Run away, scatter
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from rats running from danger
Usage: Used when people flee fast
20. Rat up a drainpipe
Meaning: Very fast and panicked escape
Example Sentence:
• He ran like a rat up a drainpipe when he saw the cop.
• The dog ran off like a rat up a drainpipe.
Other ways to say: Flee quickly, escape fast
Fun Fact/Origin: Rats climb drainpipes fast to get away
Usage: Used when someone runs off in a rush
21. Throw to the rats
Meaning: Let someone face trouble alone
Example Sentence:
• He threw me to the rats when the teacher got mad.
• Don’t throw your friends to the rats just to save yourself.
Other ways to say: Betray, abandon
Fun Fact/Origin: Suggests letting rats attack
Usage: Used when someone doesn’t protect another person
22. Rats abandoning a sinking ship
Meaning: People leaving when things go wrong
Example Sentence:
• The fans left like rats abandoning a sinking ship after the team lost.
• When trouble came, the workers left like rats leaving a sinking ship.
Other ways to say: Run from problems, give up
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the idea that rats leave ships before they sink
Usage: Used when people give up and run
23. Eat like a rat
Meaning: Eat in small or sneaky ways
Example Sentence:
• She eats like a rat, picking at her food.
• He eats like a rat, sneaking snacks all day.
Other ways to say: Pick at food, snack often
Fun Fact/Origin: Rats nibble little bits at a time
Usage: Used when someone eats in small, quiet bites
24. Rat-bag
Meaning: An annoying or bad person
Example Sentence:
• That rat-bag broke my toy on purpose.
• Don’t be a rat-bag to your sister.
Other ways to say: Brat, mean person
Fun Fact/Origin: Common in Australian slang
Usage: Used to describe a rude or trouble-making person
25. Rat-like
Meaning: Acting sneaky or shady
Example Sentence:
• His rat-like actions made me nervous.
• She moved in a rat-like way around the house.
Other ways to say: Sneaky, shady
Fun Fact/Origin: Based on how rats act—quiet and sneaky
Usage: Used to describe someone acting suspiciously
26. Trap a rat
Meaning: To catch someone doing wrong
Example Sentence:
• We set up a plan to trap the rat who was stealing.
• The teacher trapped the rat cheating on the quiz.
Other ways to say: Catch, expose
Fun Fact/Origin: From actual rat traps
Usage: Used when someone is caught doing something bad
27. Rat tail
Meaning: A long, thin ponytail
Example Sentence:
• He had a small rat tail at the back of his head.
• Some boys in the ’90s had rat tails.
Other ways to say: Thin ponytail
Fun Fact/Origin: Named for looking like a real rat’s tail
Usage: Used to describe a hairstyle
28. Rat bite
Meaning: A small problem that can grow bigger
Example Sentence:
• That crack in the wall is a rat bite waiting to spread.
• Don’t ignore the rat bite or it’ll become a big issue.
Other ways to say: Small start of trouble
Fun Fact/Origin: Rats bite small holes that grow
Usage: Used when a small problem might get worse
29. Play rat
Meaning: Pretend to be sneaky or smart
Example Sentence:
• He likes to play rat in games, sneaking around.
• She played rat and tricked us during tag.
Other ways to say: Sneak, act sly
Fun Fact/Origin: Rats are known for clever behavior
Usage: Used when pretending to be tricky
30. House of rats
Meaning: A place full of trouble or bad people
Example Sentence:
• That old club turned into a house of rats.
• Stay away—it’s a house of rats in there.
Other ways to say: Dangerous place, full of problems
Fun Fact/Origin: Suggests rats gathering in bad spaces
Usage: Used for places with troublemakers or danger
Quiz: Idioms About Rats
Instructions: Read each question and the answer choices carefully. Pick the letter that best matches the meaning of the phrase or expression.
Question Key
1. When someone says, “I smell a rat,” what do they mean?
A) They are cleaning the house
B) They think something is wrong
C) They saw a pet rat
2. If you “rat out” your friend, what are you doing?
A) Helping them with homework
B) Buying them a gift
C) Telling on them
3. What does “rat race” mean?
A) A fun race with pets
B) A stressful, busy life
C) A game about chasing rats
4. If a person looks “like a drowned rat,” how do they look?
A) Very wet and messy
B) Happy and smiling
C) Covered in dirt
5. A “pack rat” is someone who:
A) Loves running
B) Keeps everything and doesn’t throw stuff away
C) Cleans their house daily
6. When someone is “as sneaky as a rat,” what are they like?
A) Very honest
B) Very tricky
C) Very fast
7. If someone is “caught in a rat trap,” what does it mean?
A) They are stuck in a tough situation
B) They are relaxing at home
C) They are playing with a pet
8. What does “rats abandoning a sinking ship” mean?
A) People swimming
B) People helping in trouble
C) People running away from problems
9. A “rat’s nest” is best described as:
A) A place full of food
B) A clean and tidy room
C) A messy and confusing space
10. If you say someone is a “dirty rat,” what do you mean?
A) They’re funny
B) They’re very honest
C) They’re a liar or a cheat
11. When someone is “quick as a rat,” they are:
A) Slow and lazy
B) Very fast
C) Very tall
12. A “house of rats” is:
A) A safe and fun place
B) A place with lots of problems or bad people
C) A place for learning
Answer Key
- B) They think something is wrong
- C) Telling on them
- B) A stressful, busy life
- A) Very wet and messy
- B) Keeps everything and doesn’t throw stuff away
- B) Very tricky
- A) They are stuck in a tough situation
- C) People running away from problems
- C) A messy and confusing space
- C) They’re a liar or a cheat
- B) Very fast
- B) A place with lots of problems or bad people
Wrapping Up
Rat idioms can sound a little strange at first, but they help make language fun and interesting. People use them to talk about being sneaky, escaping trouble, or living a busy life. Learning these phrases helps us understand jokes, books, and conversations better.
Now that you know 30 idioms about rats, try using a few when you talk with others. You’ll sound smart and understand more of what people say. Idioms are a great way to make your English strong and full of color.
