racket
B1Informal (criminal sense), Neutral (sports equipment), Informal (noise sense)
Definition
Meaning
A loud, unpleasant noise; a dishonest or illegal scheme for obtaining money.
Also refers to the equipment used in sports like tennis or badminton; more generally, can refer to any bustling, noisy activity or scene.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word has three distinct, unrelated meanings. Context is crucial. The 'noise' and 'illegal scheme' senses are informal, often negative. The 'sports equipment' sense is standard and neutral.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In sports, 'racket' is the standard spelling in both. Some US publications occasionally use 'racquet' for the sports sense, but 'racket' remains dominant. The other meanings are spelled 'racket' universally.
Connotations
Identical across variants. The criminal sense often implies organized, ongoing fraud.
Frequency
All senses are equally common in both varieties. 'Racket' for noise is slightly more informal in British English.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
run a racket (to operate)make a racket (to cause noise)be in on the racket (to participate)string a racket (to equip)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “What a racket! (expression of annoyance at noise or unfairness)”
- “Run a racket (manage an illegal scheme)”
- “In on the racket (participating in a dishonest plan)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used negatively to describe fraudulent business practices ('a protection racket').
Academic
Rare, except in sociology/criminology discussing organized crime.
Everyday
Common for sports equipment ('tennis racket') and noise ('The kids are making a racket').
Technical
In sports science, refers to the equipment's specifications (e.g., 'racket inertia').
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The children were racketing about upstairs all afternoon.
American English
- The band racketed on until the neighbours complained.
adverb
British English
- (Rarely used, but possible) The cart rolled racketily down the cobbled street.
American English
- (Rarely used, but possible) He laughed racketily at the joke.
adjective
British English
- He lived a rackety life, full of noise and chaos.
American English
- The old car made a rackety sound as it drove off.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I have a new tennis racket.
- Please stop that racket!
- The police discovered a fraud racket selling fake tickets.
- What's all that racket coming from the flat next door?
- He was implicated in an elaborate gambling racket that spanned three counties.
- The constant racket of construction work made it impossible to concentrate.
- The journalist exposed the protection racket that local businesses were forced to pay into.
- Despite the rackety state of the engine, the vintage plane completed its journey.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a TENNIS RACKET hitting a ball – it makes a loud NOISE, and if someone fixed the match, it would be a SCAM or RACKET.
Conceptual Metaphor
ILLEGAL ACTIVITY IS A LOUD, DISTURBING NOISE (e.g., 'the racket in the city hall' implies corrupt noise).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'ракетка' (only sports equipment). The 'noise' and 'crime' meanings do not translate directly. For noise, use 'шум', 'гам'. For crime, use 'афера', 'мошенничество'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'racket' to mean any sports equipment (it's for net sports). Confusing 'racket' (noise/crime) with 'racquet' (sports, a variant). Spelling as 'rackette'.
Practice
Quiz
Which of these sentences uses 'racket' to mean a dishonest scheme?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Both are acceptable, but 'racket' is by far the more common and preferred spelling in modern English for all meanings, including sports.
No, they have separate etymologies. The 'noise' and 'dishonest scheme' meanings likely derive from different roots, while the sports equipment comes from the Arabic 'raḥa' (palm of the hand).
It depends on the meaning. For sports equipment, it's standard. For noise or an illegal scheme, it is informal. In formal writing, you might use 'din' or 'fraudulent scheme' instead.
Yes, but it's rare and literary. It means to make a loud noise or move noisily (e.g., 'The truck racketed down the road').