rat race

noun

, Informal.

1. any exhausting, unremitting, and usually competitive activity or routine, especially a pressured urban working life spent trying to get ahead with little time left for leisure, contemplation, etc.

rat race

noun

1. a continual routine of hectic competitive activity

   working in the City is a real rat race

Word History and Origins

Origin of rat race¹

An Americanism dating back to 1935–40

Idioms and Phrases

Fierce competition to maintain or improve one's position in the workplace or social life. For example, You may not realize what a rat race it is to get research grants . This term presumably alludes to the rat's desperate struggle for survival. [ Colloquial ; first half of 1900s]

Example Sentences

Tangping, or “lying flat,” became a ubiquitous term for opting out of the rat race, not unlike the term “quiet quitting” in the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times

"Travelling really opened my eyes, we’re all stuck in a rat race here in the UK," she said.

From BBC

Brown rats are the undisputed winners of the real rat race.

From Seattle Times

Before joining the piano rat race, Pollini insisted on taking time to learn repertory and to mature.

From Los Angeles Times

Wellness, digital detox, escaping the rat race in stunning, but quiet surroundings, are all promising options for resorts where skiing will become impossible.

From BBC