Home › Words › R › rankenrankenranken means to make or become rank.EtymologyFrom rank + -en (verbal suffix).verbTo make or become ranke.g.“In a word, it is good for nothing but to despatch men out of the world that are burdensome, and to ranken churchyards.” — 1868, John Mockett Cramp, Baptist History, page 299:Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).Words closest in meaningBy meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.overrankness 63% match — Excessive rankness. vs ranken →rankle 62% match — To cause irritation, bitterness or acrimony. vs ranken →reezed 60% match — Grown rank; rancid; rusty. vs ranken →enrank 59% match — To place in ranks or in order. vs ranken →downrank 58% match — To lower in rank. vs ranken →disrank 56% match — To degrade from rank. vs ranken →lanken 56% match — To become lank or lanky; grow thin. vs ranken →rankling 56% match — A sensation that rankles. vs ranken →