the way of life of people living and working in a large city where people compete in an aggressive way with each other in order to be more successful, earn more money, etc. It's very easy to get caught up in the rat race. The novel is about a couple who get out of the rat race and buy a farm in Vermont. Topic CollocationsTown and Countrytown
- live in a city/a town/an urban environment/the suburbs/the (housing) projects/shanty towns/slums/ (informal) a concrete jungle/the ghetto
- live downtown/in the downtown area/uptown/in midtown (Manhattan)
- enjoy/like the hectic pace of life/the hustle and bustle of city life
- cope with the stress/pressures of urban life
- get caught up in the rat race
- prefer/seek the anonymity of life in a big city
- be drawn to/resist the lure of the big city
- head for the bright lights (of the big city/New York)
- enjoy/love the vibrant/lively nightlife
- have/be close to all the amenities
- be surrounded by towering skyscrapers/soulless suburban sprawl
- use/travel by/rely on public transportation
- put up with/get stuck in/sit in massive/huge/heavy/endless/constant traffic jams
- tackle/ease/reduce/relieve/alleviate the heavy/severe (traffic) congestion
- be affected by/choked with/damaged by pollution
- live in a village/the countryside/an isolated area/a rural backwater/ (informal) the sticks/the boondocks
- enjoy/like the relaxed/slower pace of life
- enjoy/love/explore the great outdoors
- look for/find/get/enjoy a little peace and quiet
- need/want to get back/closer to nature
- be surrounded by open/unspoiled/picturesque/peaceful countryside
- escape/quit/get out of/leave the rat race
- seek/achieve a better/healthy work-life balance
- downshift to a less stressful life
- build/seek/start a new life in the country
- pull up stakes and move to/head for…
- create/build/foster a strong sense of community
- depend on/be employed in/work in agriculture
- live off/farm/work the land
- tackle/address the problem of rural/small-town unemployment
Check pronunciation: the rat race