rock
11 synonyms and 0 antonyms for rock, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A hard natural mineral material, or a piece of it such as a stone or boulder.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
How to use rock
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
Etymology
From Old English and Anglo-Norman words for stone, ultimately from Medieval Latin rocca, of uncertain, possibly Celtic origin.
Full origin of rock →Frequently asked questions
What does “rock” mean?
The word “rock” means a hard natural mineral material, or a piece of it such as a stone or boulder. In plain terms, a stone or mineral mass; also a genre of music, a source of stability, or (informally) to be great or to sway back and forth.
How do you pronounce “rock”?
“Rock” is pronounced rok (/ɹɑk/ in IPA).
How do you use “rock” in a sentence?
Here is “rock” used in a sentence: “They climbed over the rocks to reach the tide pools.”
What is another word for “rock”?
Words with a similar meaning to “rock” include natural mineral aggregate, bedrock, hit, sleep with, waver and judder.
What part of speech is “rock”?
Depending on how it is used, “rock” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “rock” come from?
The word “rock” comes from Medieval Latin. From Old English and Anglo-Norman words for stone, ultimately from Medieval Latin rocca, of uncertain, possibly Celtic origin.
Is “rock” a common word?
“Rock” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.
How many meanings does “rock” have?
“Rock” has 6 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a hard natural mineral material, or a piece of it such as a stone or boulder.
What is the difference between a rock and a stone?
The words overlap, but there is a general pattern. 'Rock' refers to the hard mineral material itself or a large mass of it, like a cliff face. 'Stone' usually means a smaller piece you could pick up. British English often calls a small piece a stone, while American English uses rock more freely.
What are the three types of rock?
Geologists group rocks into three types. Igneous rock forms when molten material cools and hardens. Sedimentary rock forms as layers of particles are pressed together over time. Metamorphic rock forms when existing rock is changed by intense heat and pressure. Together they make up the Earth's solid crust.
What is the difference between a rock and a mineral?
A mineral is a single, naturally occurring substance with a specific chemical make-up, such as quartz or feldspar. A rock is a solid mass made up of one or more minerals combined together. So minerals are the ingredients, and rock is the mixture that those ingredients form.
What is an example of a rock?
Everyday examples include granite, used for worktops and buildings, along with limestone, sandstone, marble, and slate. Each forms in a different way and has different uses. A pebble on a beach or a boulder on a hillside is simply a loose piece of one of these natural rock types.