Rock — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun adjective /ˈräk/

Meaning & Definition of Rock

Rock (verb)

  1. to move back and forth in or as if in a cradle
  2. to cause to sway back and forth
  3. to cause to shake violently

Rock (noun)

  1. a rocking movement
  2. popular music usually played on electronically amplified instruments and characterized by a persistent heavily accented beat, repetition of simple phrases, and often country, folk, and blues elements
  3. a large mass of stone forming a cliff, promontory, or peak
  4. a concreted mass of stony material; also, broken pieces of such masses
  5. consolidated or unconsolidated solid mineral matter; also, a particular mass of it
  6. distaff
  7. the wool or flax on a distaff

Rock (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a usually valuable stone cut and polished for ornament

    "a trophy wife with enough rocks to open her own jewelry store"

    similar: brilliant, gem, gemstone, jewel
    related: bauble, bijou, trinket, birthstone, baguette, cabochon, cameo, scarab, solitaire, teardrop, paste, rhinestone, zircon, crown jewels, jewelry
    near: rough

Rock (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to make a series of unsteady side-to-side motions

    "the boat was rocking so much that several passengers felt seasick"

    similar: careen, lurch, pitch, roll, seesaw, sway, toss, wobble
    related: blunder, buck, dodder, falter, flounder, halt, hitch, hobble, jerk, jolt, reel, shake, stagger, stumble, teeter, toddle, totter, tumble, vacillate, vibrate, waddle, waver, weave, oscillate, undulate, wag, waggle

  2. to swing unsteadily back and forth or from side to side

    "the drunk rocked on his heels for a moment and then fell flat on his back"

    similar: falter, teeter, totter, waver, wobble
    related: flounder, lurch, stumble, toddle, quake, quaver, quiver, shake, shudder, tremble, vibrate, careen, reel, stagger, weave

  3. to make senseless or dizzy by a blow

    "she rocked the mugger with a single punch and then ran"

    similar: daze, stun, knock for a loop, knock silly
    related: deaden, knock out, paralyze, benumb, numb, stupefy, bowl over, knock down, bang, bash, belt, bludgeon, bonk, bop, clobber, clock, clout, hammer, hit, paste, pound, punch, rap, slam, slap, slug, smack, smite, sock, strike, swat, thump, thwack, wallop, whack, whale, batter, beat, buffet, bung, chop, cuff, drub, mangle, maul, pelt, pummel

  4. to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected

    "the news of the mayor's sudden death rocked the city"

    similar: amaze, astonish, astound, bowl over, dumbfound, flabbergast, floor, shock, startle, stun, stupefy, surprise, thunderstrike, knock for a loop, take aback, take by surprise
    related: befuddle, bewilder, blindside, blow away, confound, confuse, daze, discomfit, disconcert, dismay, jar, muddle, nonplus, perplex, shake up

Rock (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in adamantine, rocklike

    similar: adamantine, rocklike, compacted, compressed, condensed, substantial, case-hardened, crush-proof, hardened, indurated, stiffened, tempered, resistant, sound, strong, sturdy, tough, inelastic, inflexible, rigid, stiff, tense, unbending, unyielding, firm, hard, solid
    opposite: flabby, mushy, pulpy, soft, spongy, squashy, squishy, squooshy, doughy, fleshy, droopy, flaccid, floppy, lank, limp, slack, yielding

Related Entry: Rock-bottom (adjective)

Rock-bottom is a different word from Rock. The synonyms below are for rock-bottom, not for rock.

  1. of, relating to, or located at the bottom

    "rock-bottom prices on home electronics"

    similar: bottom, bottommost, low, lowermost, nethermost, undermost
    related: below, lower, low-grade, lowly, nether, under, lowered, low-lying, sunken
    opposite: highest, loftiest, top, topmost, upmost, uppermost
    near: higher, loftier, upper, elevated, escalated, heightened, jacked (up), lifted, raised, uplifted, upraised

Related Entry: Rock bottom (noun)

Rock bottom is a different word from Rock. The synonyms below are for rock bottom, not for rock.

  1. the lowest part, place, or point

    "when the stock market was at its rock bottom was the time to buy in"

    similar: base, basement, bottom, foot, nadir
    related: basis, bed, bedrock, foundation, ground, groundwork, keystone, seat, underpinning
    opposite: head, top, vertex
    near: acme, apex, climax, crest, culmination, height, meridian, peak, pinnacle, summit, tip, tip-top, zenith

  2. the lowest point or level

    "our finances must be at rock bottom if we can't even afford a fast-food joint"

    similar: bedrock, bottom, depth, nadir, zero
    related: abyss, armpit, pit
    opposite: acme, apex, climax, crown, culmination, head, height, high-water mark, meridian, peak, pinnacle, summit, tip-top, top, zenith
    near: bloom, flood tide, flower, glory, heyday, crescendo, high, cap, ceiling, crest, roof

Related Entry: Rock-ribbed (adjective)

Rock-ribbed is a different word from Rock. The synonyms below are for rock-ribbed, not for rock.

  1. as in unyielding, unbending

    similar: adamant, adamantine, callous, hardened, hard-hearted, hard-line, immovable, implacable, inflexible, merciless, ossified, pitiless, relentless, stiff, unbending, uncompromising, unrelenting, unsparing, unyielding, uncharitable, unforgiving, dour, gruff, demanding, exacting, ascetic, monastic, monkish, austere, authoritarian, flinty, hard, harsh, heavy-handed, ramrod, rigid, rigorous, severe, stern, strict, tough, browbeating, bullying, determined, firm, resolved, single-minded, steadfast, unflinching, dogged, intractable, obstinate
    opposite: clement, forbearing, gentle, indulgent, lax, lenient, tolerant, easy, easygoing, laid-back, undemanding, charitable, kind, merciful, mild, patient, soft, softhearted, accepting, compromising, yielding, responsive, willing, acquiescent, agreeable, amenable, complaisant, compliant, flexible, pliable, pliant

Related Entry: Rock bottoms (noun)

Rock bottoms is a different word from Rock. The synonyms below are for rock bottoms, not for rock.

  1. the lowest part, place, or point

    "when the stock market was at its rock bottom was the time to buy in"

    similar: basements, bases, bottoms, feet, nadirs
    related: bases, bedrocks, beds, foundations, grounds, groundworks, keystones, seats, underpinnings
    opposite: heads, tops, vertices
    near: acmes, apexes, climaxes, crests, culminations, heights, meridians, peaks, pinnacles, summits, tips, tip-tops, zeniths

  2. the lowest point or level

    "our finances must be at rock bottom if we can't even afford a fast-food joint"

    similar: bedrocks, bottoms, depths, nadirs, zeros
    related: abysses, armpits, pits
    opposite: acmes, apexes, climaxes, crowns, culminations, heads, heights, high-water marks, meridians, peaks, pinnacles, summits, tip-tops, tops, zeniths
    near: blooms, flood tides, flowers, glories, heydays, crescendos, highs, caps, ceilings, crests, roofs

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Rock

The most common words with a similar meaning to Rock:

brilliant, gem, gemstone, jewel, careen, lurch, pitch, roll, seesaw, sway, toss, wobble, falter, teeter, totter, waver, daze, stun, amaze, astonish, astound, bowl over, dumbfound, flabbergast, floor, shock, startle, stupefy, surprise, thunderstrike, knock for a loop, knock silly, take aback, take by surprise, adamantine, rocklike, compacted, compressed, condensed, substantial

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Rock

Words with the opposite meaning of Rock:

flabby, mushy, pulpy, soft, spongy, squashy, squishy, squooshy, doughy, fleshy, droopy, flaccid, floppy, lank, limp, slack, yielding

Related Words for Rock

bauble, bijou, trinket, birthstone, baguette, cabochon, cameo, scarab, solitaire, teardrop, paste, rhinestone, zircon, crown jewels, jewelry, blunder, buck, dodder, flounder, halt, hitch, hobble, jerk, jolt, reel, shake, stagger, stumble, toddle, tumble

Near Antonyms of Rock

rough

Word Forms of Rock

Inflections: rocked, rocking, rocks

Derived words: rock (adjective), rocklike (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Rock

Middle English rokken, from Old English roccian; akin to Old High German rucken to cause to move

First known use: 12th centuryt

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Rock

Words & Phrases Containing Rock

rock and roll, rock and roller, rock bass, rock-bottom

Frequently Asked Questions about Rock

What does "Rock" mean?

"Rock" means to move back and forth in or as if in a cradle. As an a verb, a noun and an adjective, it is defined as: to move back and forth in or as if in a cradle. It has 6 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Rock"?

Other words for "Rock" include brilliant, gem, gemstone, jewel, careen, lurch, pitch and roll. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Rock" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Rock"?

There are 162 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Rock". Common alternatives include brilliant, gem, gemstone, jewel, careen, lurch, pitch, roll, seesaw and sway.

What is the opposite of "Rock"?

Antonyms of "Rock" include flabby, mushy, pulpy, soft, spongy, squashy, squishy and squooshy. Near antonyms include rough.

How do you use "Rock" in a sentence?

Examples of "Rock" in a sentence: "a trophy wife with enough rocks to open her own jewelry store"; "the boat was rocking so much that several passengers felt seasick"; "the drunk rocked on his heels for a moment and then fell flat on his back".

Is "Rock" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Rock" can be used as a verb, a noun and an adjective, depending on the context.

Is "Rock" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A2-level word, "Rock" is typical of Cambridge A2 Key (KET), PTE Academic 30–42, TOEIC Listening & Reading 225+.

How do you pronounce "Rock"?

"Rock" is pronounced /ˈräk/.