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 France.CollocationsTown and countryTownlive in a city/a town/an urban environment/(informal) a concrete jungle/the suburbs/shanty towns/slumslive(especially North American English) downtown/in the downtown area/(British English) in the city centreenjoy/like the hectic pace of life/the hustle and bustle of city lifecope with the stress/pressure of urban lifeget caught up in the rat raceprefer/seek the anonymity of life in a big citybe drawn by/resist the lure of the big cityhead for the bright lights (of the big city/New York)enjoy/love the vibrant/lively nightlifehave/be close to all the amenitiesbe surrounded by towering skyscrapers/a soulless urban sprawluse/travel by/rely on(British English) public transport/(North American English) public transportationput up with/get stuck in/sit in massive/huge/heavy/endless/constant traffic jamstackle/ease/reduce/relieve/alleviate the heavy/severe traffic congestionbe affected/choked/damaged by pollutionCountrylive in a village/the countryside/an isolated area/a rural backwater/(informal) the sticksenjoy/like the relaxed/slower pace of lifeenjoy/love/explore the great outdoorslook for/find/get/enjoy a little peace and quietneed/want to get back/closer to naturebe surrounded by open/unspoilt/picturesque countrysideescape/quit/get out of/leave the rat raceseek/achieve a better/healthy work-life balancedownshift to a less stressful lifeseek/start a new life in the country(British English,informal)up sticks/ (North American English,informal ) pull up stakes and move to/head for…create/build/foster a strong sense of communitydepend on/be employed in/work in agriculturelive off/farm/work the landtackle/address the problem of rural unemployment
See the rat race in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
