rake in
C1Informal, often used in business and media contexts
Definition
Meaning
to earn or receive a very large amount of money
to gather or acquire a large quantity of something, especially profit, quickly and often easily
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Implies significant, often effortless, financial gain. It carries a connotation of abundance and can sometimes suggest profiting opportunistically.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical or grammatical differences. Both varieties use the phrasal verb identically.
Connotations
Slightly more common in American business and sports journalism, but widely understood and used in both dialects.
Frequency
High frequency in informal finance, sports, and entertainment reporting in both regions.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
rake in + [object (money/profit)]rake + [object] + inVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “He's raking it in.”
- “The film is raking in the cash.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used to describe companies or individuals generating exceptionally high revenue.
Academic
Rare; found mainly in economic or sociological texts discussing wealth accumulation.
Everyday
Used informally to talk about someone making a lot of money, e.g., from a side business or event.
Technical
Not typically used in highly technical fields like engineering or medicine.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The new streaming service is set to rake in millions from subscribers.
- During the summer festival, local vendors really rake it in.
American English
- The tech startup is raking in venture capital.
- He's raking in the dough with his online courses.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The shop rakes in a lot of money during the holidays.
- The company's innovative product allowed them to rake in profits far exceeding expectations.
- Despite the economic downturn, the pharmaceutical giant continues to rake in billions from its patent-protected drugs.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a gardener using a rake to pull in a huge pile of leaves (money) effortlessly from the lawn.
Conceptual Metaphor
MONEY IS A HARVEST (gathered with a tool).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid literal translation to "грабли" (rake). The equivalent is "зарабатывать огромные деньги", "собирать бабло" (colloquial).
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: *'They raked in from the concert.' Correct: 'They raked in money from the concert.'
- Incorrect word order: *'They raked a lot of money in it.'
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary meaning of 'rake in'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is informal but commonly used in business and media contexts. Avoid in strict academic or legal writing.
Yes, it is separable. You can say 'They raked millions in' or 'They raked in millions.'
Primarily yes, but it can be extended metaphorically to other things gathered in large quantities, like votes or awards, though this is less common.
'Rake in' emphasizes the large, often surprising or easy quantity being acquired, while 'earn' is neutral.