Nowadays it has come to represent something of an entirely different nature and that is a behaviour and mentality that is low class and just undignified. The word ghetto is said to originated with the description used for the deplorable housing situation of the Jews in WWII when they were forcibly detained by the Nazis before being shipped off to the concentration camp. In other words ratchet is the new terminology for ‘ghetto’. Now what exactly is ‘ratchet’ or ratchet behaviour? Well Urban Dictionary defines it as “a person that is the most non-classy human being with usually the worst grammar problems and they always try to pick fights with everybody.” I don’t know bout the fight part but classless hits the nail on the head.

No, the ratchet I’m talking about has a whole other meaning. Now I’m not talking ratchet as in the word referring to a small knife. Words like ‘selfie’ and ‘twerking’ are now very popular and right along side those is the word ‘ratchet’. Almost daily new words are coined that hold meaning in social media and other spheres and sometimes they even make it not only into the urban dictionary but can actually gain access to the respected oxford one as well.

Ratchet urban dictionary antonym