181 Nouns That Start with R [with Definitions and Examples]

In this article, we are going to analyze several categories of nouns that start with R. Nouns starting with R have a peculiar set of properties that need to be investigated. Before we do that, let’s discuss what nouns are and why they are so important. A noun refers to individuals, things, ideas, and different items around us. Come to think of it, perhaps you could say that the difference between human language and the non-human ones – represented by the noises apes and monkeys make, is that we humans have nouns, and other animals don’t. In other words, noun is a word that names something. They are the first and focal building squares of language.

The letter R is the eighth most common letter in English and the fourth-most common consonant after N, S and T. Hence, one can expect that the list of nouns that start with R will be a very large one.

There are a number of nouns beginning with R that people use the most in their everyday lives and there are some that they rarely use. Apart from that there are many nouns that start with R to describe a person, place, animate and inanimate objects, etc. Without any further ado, let’s go through the categories of nouns that start with R, one by one.

Nouns That Start with R You Always Use

Nouns are everywhere in our writing. They form a large proportion of English vocabulary and they come in a wide variety of types. Nouns that start with R that one uses regularly are listed below.

1. Room

• Definition: a part or division of a building enclosed by walls, floor, and ceiling
• Synonyms: chamber, apartment, cabin
• Example: I could hear people talking in the next room.

2. Rest

• Definition: an instance or period of resting
• Synonyms: relaxation, leisure, repose
• Example: You look as though you need a rest.

3. Recipe

• Definition: a set of instructions for preparing a particular dish, including a list of the ingredients required
• Synonyms: instructions, pattern, process
• Example: For real South Asian food, just follow these recipes.

4. Rod

• Definition: thin straight bar, especially of wood or metal
• Synonyms: baton, cane, billet
• Example: The concrete is strengthened with steel rods.

5. Robe

• Definition: a long, loose outer garment reaching to the ankles
• Synonyms: costume, dress, gown
• Example: Judges wear black robes when they are in court.

6. Rice

• Definition: the small seeds of a particular type of grass, cooked, and eaten as food
• Synonyms: cereal, corn, grain
• Example: The prisoners existed on a meagre diet of rice and fish.

7. Rain

• Definition: the condensed moisture of the atmosphere falling visibly in separate drops
• Synonyms: drizzle, shower, precipitation
• Example: We had light rain all day.

8. Rug

• Definition: a floor covering of thick woven material or animal skin
• Synonyms: mat, carpet
• Example: My dog loves lying on the rug in front of the fire.

9. Rope

• Definition: a piece of strong, thick string made of long twisted threads
• Synonyms: cord, line, cable, string
• Example: A sailor threw a rope ashore and we tied the boat to a post.

10. Road

• Definition: a long, hard surface built for vehicles to travel along
• Synonyms: pavement, track, highway
• Example: There’s a coffee shop on the other side of the road.

Nouns That Start with R You Usually Use

Nouns can name things, although sometimes they might be intangible things, such as concepts, activities, or processes. Some might even be hypothetical or imaginary things. Following is a list of nouns starting with R that we usually use in our daily life routine.

1. Rabbit

• Definition: a small, long-eared mammal with soft fur that bounces and burrows
• Synonyms: bunny, hare, cottontail
• Example: The rabbit hopped across the grass.

2. Reason

• Definition: the cause for something to happen
• Synonyms: intent, motive, impetus
• Example: The reason for the disaster was engine failure, not human error.

3. Research

• Definition: a detailed study of a subject, especially in order to discover new information or to reach a new understanding
• Synonyms: analysis, experiment, investigation
• Example: It took months of painstaking research to write the book.

4. Religion

• Definition: the belief in and worship of a god or gods
• Synonyms: belief, faith, creed
• Example: It seems to me that a lot of evil deeds are done in the name of religion.

5. Relationship

• Definition: a connection between two people or things
• Synonyms: affiliation, affinity, kinship
• Example: Lack of trust is very destructive in a relationship.

6. Rage

• Definition: a period of extreme or violent anger
• Synonyms: fury, frenzy, anger
• Example: He flew into a fit of rage over the smallest mistake.

7. Request

• Definition: an act of asking politely or formally for something
• Synonyms: petition, appeal, inquiry
• Example: They received hundreds of requests for more information.

8. Realist

• Definition: a person who accepts a situation as it is and is prepared to deal with it accordingly
• Synonyms: pragmatist, rationalist
• Example: I am a realist, with no time for your world of make believe.

9. Route

• Definition: a way or course taken in getting from a starting point to a destination
• Synonyms: way, course, road
• Example: The route we had planned took us right across Greece.

10. Race

• Definition: an attempt to be the first to do or to get something
• Synonyms: chase, competition, run
• Example: Many countries are in race to find the best cure for Covid-19.

Nouns That Start with R You Often Use

In a sentence, nouns can play the role of a subject, direct object, indirect object, subject complement, object complement, appositive, or an adjective. Following are some of the nouns starting with R that we often use.

1. Reader

• Definition: a person who reads or who is fond of reading
• Synonyms: bibliophile, bookworm
• Example: She’s an avid reader.

2. Reaction

• Definition: something done, felt, or thought in response to a situation
• Synonyms: opinion, reflex, reply
• Example: My immediate reaction was one of relief.

3. Response

• Definition: an answer to something
• Synonyms: answer, reply, reaction
• Example: Her proposals met with an enthusiastic response.

4. Rent

• Definition: a fixed amount of money that you pay regularly for the use of a room, house, car, television, etc. that someone else owns
• Synonyms: fee, cost, price
• Example: My rent is $800 a month inclusive of bills.

5. Reality

• Definition: the state of things as they are, rather than as they are imagined to be
• Synonyms: actuality, existence, tangibility
• Example: He refuses to face reality.

6. Region

• Definition: a particular area or part of the world, or any of the large official areas into which a country is divided
• Synonyms: country, province, realm
• Example: The war is threatening to engulf the entire region.

7. Report

• Definition: a description of an event or situation
• Synonyms: statement, summary, write-up
• Example: She sent in weekly reports on the situation.

8. Resource

• Definition: a useful or valuable possession or quality of a country, organization, or person
• Synonyms: asset, reserve, wherewithal
• Example: The country’s greatest resource is the dedication of its workers.

9. Restaurant

• Definition: a place where meals are prepared and served to customers
• Synonyms: bistro, cafe, eatery
• Example: They have really good food at that restaurant and it’s not very expensive either.

10. Result

• Definition: a thing that is caused or produced by something else
• Synonyms: outcome, consequence, conclusion
• Example: His broken leg is the direct result of his own carelessness.

Nouns That Start with R You Sometimes Use

Every sentence must have a subject, and that subject will always be a noun. The subject of a sentence is the person, place, or thing that is doing or being the verb in that sentence. The following is a list of nouns beginning with N that are less frequently used in our everyday lives.

1. Recommendation

• Definition: a suggestion that something is good or suitable for a particular purpose or job
• Synonyms: advice, counsel, guidance
• Example: I bought this computer on John’s recommendation.

2. Realization

• Definition: the fact or moment of starting to understand a situation
• Synonyms: awareness, understanding, comprehension
• Example: The realization was dawning that this was a major disaster.

3. Recollection

• Definition: a memory of someone or something
• Synonyms: memory, remembrance
• Example: I have many pleasant recollections of the time we spent together.

4. Recruitment

• Definition: the process of finding people to work for a company
• Synonyms: employment, admission
• Example: Increased recruitment of women engineers will help correct the gender imbalance in the profession.

5. Rationality

• Definition: the quality of making decisions based on clear thought and reason
• Synonyms: tenability, intellect, moderateness,
• Example: We have to bring some rationality to the issue.

6. Ransom

• Definition: a sum of money demanded or paid for the release of a captive
• Synonyms: payment, price, pay-off
• Example: The kidnappers demanded a ransom.

7. Rumor

• Definition: a currently circulating story or report of uncertain or doubtful truth
• Synonyms: gossip, hearsay, tittle-tattle
• Example: I heard a rumor that she’d been seeing Michael.

8. Riddle

• Definition: a mystifying, misleading, or puzzling question posed as a problem to be solved or guessed
• Synonyms: conundrum, enigma
• Example: Scientists may have solved the riddle of Saturn’s rings.

9. Reform

• Definition: an improvement, especially in a person’s behavior or in the structure of something
• Synonyms: improvement, betterment, amelioration
• Example: The education system was crying out for reform.

10. Resemblance

• Definition: the fact that two people or things look like each other or are similar in some other way
• Synonyms: likeness, similarity, similitude
• Example: The resemblance between Susan and her sister was remarkable.

Nouns That Start with R You Occasionally Use

Nouns are at the heart of sentences and clauses; they are indispensable to the formation of a complete thought. Following is a list of noun words that start with R and are used occasionally in our writings and conversations.

1. Ramification

• Definition: a complex or unwelcome consequence of an action or event
• Synonyms: consequence, result, outcome
• Example: Have you considered all the ramifications of your suggestion?

2. Rancor

• Definition: bitterness or resentfulness, especially when long standing
• Synonyms: spite, hate, malice
• Example: He spoke without rancor.

3. Rebuttal

• Definition: an instance of rebutting evidence or an accusation
• Synonyms: denial, refutation
• Example: The accusations met with a firm rebuttal.

4. Ratification

• Definition: the action of signing or giving formal consent to a treaty, contract, or agreement, making it officially valid
• Synonyms: confirmation, substantiation, corroboration
• Example: Ratification of the treaty raised problems in several member states.

5. Reconnaissance

• Definition: military observation of a region to locate an enemy or ascertain strategic features
• Synonyms: observation, exploration, investigation
• Example: Aerial reconnaissance of the enemy position showed they were ready to attack.

6. Recourse

• Definition: a source of help in a difficult situation
• Synonyms: option, possibility, resort
• Example: Surgery may be the only recourse in this condition.

7. Recreant

• Definition: one who is unfaithful to duty or allegiance; a coward
• Synonyms: weakling, chicken, sissy
• Example: He was dishonorably discharged from the armed forces for being a recreant.

8. Regimen

• Definition: a prescribed course of medical treatment, diet, or exercise for the restoration of health
• Synonyms: care, rehabilitation, treatment, rehab
• Example: After his heart attack the doctor put him on a strict regimen.

9. Relic

• Definition: an object surviving from an earlier time, especially one of historical interest
• Synonyms: artefact, heirloom, antique
• Example: Farmers occasionally plough up old Indian relics.

10. Renegade

• Definition: a person who deserts and betrays an organization, country, or set of principles
• Synonyms: traitor, defector, deserter
• Example: A band of renegades had captured the prince and were holding him to ransom.

Nouns That Start with R You Seldom Use

Nouns are very important for language development. They also enhance people’s overall expressive language. Below is a list of nouns that start with the letter R that are seldom used.

1. Raillery

• Definition: good-humored teasing
• Synonyms: chaff, banter, ragging
• Example: She was greeted with raillery from her fellow workers.

2. Rapprochement

• Definition: an agreement reached by opposing groups or people
• Synonyms: agreement, reconciliation
• Example: There are signs of rapprochement between the warring factions.

3. Rectitude

• Definition: morally correct behavior or thinking
• Synonyms: righteousness, goodness, virtue
• Example: Mattie is a model of rectitude.

4. Rejoinder

• Definition: a reply, especially a sharp or witty one
• Synonyms: answer, reply, riposte
• Example: She would have made some cutting rejoinder but none came to mind.

5. Repast

• Definition: something taken as food; a meal
• Synonyms: feast, meal, banquet
• Example: That simple repast was fit for a king.

6. Repeal

• Definition: the action of revoking or annulling a law or act of parliament
• Synonyms: revocation, rescinding, cancellation
• Example: The House voted in favor of repeal.

7. Repugnance

• Definition: a feeling of disgust caused by behavior or beliefs which are very unpleasant
• Synonyms: disgust, abhorrence, repulsion
• Example: She felt a deep sense of shame and repugnance.

8. Remnant

• Definition: a part or quantity that is left after the greater part has been used, removed, or destroyed
• Synonyms: remains, leftover, residue
• Example: Where are the remnants of last night’s meal?

9. Reverie

• Definition: a state of having pleasant dream-like thoughts
• Synonyms: daydream, fantasy
• Example: She was roused from her reverie by the talk of the maids in the next room.

10. Reminiscence

• Definition: the act of remembering events and experiences from the past
• Synonyms: memory, reflection, recollection
• Example: The novel contains endless reminiscences of the author’s youth.

Nouns That Start with R You Rarely Use

There are some R-nouns that are rarely seen or heard in both writing and communication. When a reader gets to know about them he is astounded that such nouns even exist. Below are some of those nouns.

1. Raconteur

• Definition: a person who tells anecdotes in a skillful and amusing way
• Synonyms: storyteller, narrator, relater
• Example: He was a brilliant raconteur.

2. Recalcitrant

• Definition: a person with an obstinately uncooperative attitude
• Synonyms: rebel, nonconformist
• Example: He is a stiff-necked recalcitrant and troublemaker.

3. Recidivism

• Definition: the tendency of a convicted criminal to reoffend
• Synonyms: reversion, relapse, backsliding
• Example: The prison has succeeded in reducing recidivism.

4. Regatta

• Definition: a sporting event consisting of a series of boat or yacht races
• Synonyms: rowing, championship, race
• Example: We’ll take part in a regatta next month.

5. Restitution

• Definition: the restoration of something lost or stolen to its proper owner
• Synonyms: replacement, restoration, yielding
• Example: The ANC had demanded the restitution of land seized from black people.

6. Repartee

• Definition: conversation or speech characterized by quick, witty comments or replies
• Synonyms: banter, badinage, bantering
• Example: Oscar Wilde’s plays are full of witty repartee.

7. Reprobate

• Definition: an unprincipled person
• Synonyms: rogue, rascal, scoundrel
• Example: He has always been a bit of a reprobate.

8. Revelry

• Definition: lively and noisy festivities, especially when these involve drinking a large amount of alcohol
• Synonyms: jollification, merrymaking, carousing
• Example: The sound of revelry filled the house yesterday.

9. Revulsion

• Definition: a sense of disgust and loathing
• Synonyms: repulsion, abhorrence, disgust
• Example: News of the attack will be met with sorrow and revulsion.

10. Rodomontade

• Definition: boastful or inflated talk or behavior
• Synonyms: bluster, pretension, grandiloquence, exaggeration
• Example: She amused him with some rodomontade about despising rank and wealth.

Positive Nouns That Start with R

There are some positive nouns that both carry and spread positivity and also describe your skills, results, and accomplishments. These are some of the positive nouns that start with R that one should have at one’s disposal.

1. Relaxation

• Definition: the state of being free from tension and anxiety
• Synonyms: composure, calmness, tranquility
• Example: I go fishing for relaxation.

2. Rainbow

• Definition: an arch of different colors seen in the sky when rain is falling and the sun is shining
• Synonyms: arc, bow, prism
• Example: The sun came out and we saw a rainbow.

3. Respect

• Definition: admiration felt or shown for someone or something that you believe has good ideas or qualities
• Synonyms: esteem, regard, admiration
• Example: You should show more respect to your parents.

4. Reunion

• Definition: a social event for a group of people who have not seen each other for a long time
• Synonyms: jointure, reunification, homecoming
• Example: The College has an annual reunion for former students.

5. Right

• Definition: that which is morally correct, just, or honorable
• Synonyms: goodness, righteousness, integrity
• Example: She doesn’t understand the difference between right and wrong.

6. Responsibility

• Definition: the state or fact of having a duty to deal with something or of having control over someone
• Synonyms: management, leadership, control
• Example: A true leader takes responsibility for their team and helps them achieve goals.

7. Relief

• Definition: a feeling of reassurance and relaxation following release from anxiety or distress
• Synonyms: consolation, solace, reassurance
• Example: Much to her relief, she saw the door open.

8. Reconciliation

• Definition: the restoration of friendly relations
• Synonyms: reunion, appeasement
• Example: It took hours of negotiations to bring about a reconciliation between the two sides.

9. Romanticism

• Definition: the state or quality of being romantic
• Synonyms: affectation, sentimentalism
• Example: Her determined romanticism was cheering him up.

10. Reward

• Definition: a thing given in recognition of service, effort, or achievement
• Synonyms: recompense, prize, award
• Example: The holiday was a reward for 40 years’ service with the company.

Nouns That Start with R – Full List (181 words)

• Rabbi
• Rabbit
• Rabble
• Race
• Racetrack
• Rack
• Racket
• Racketeer
• Raconteur
• Radar
• Radiance
• Radiant
• Radiation
• Radiator
• Radical
• Radicalism
• Radii
• Radio
• Radioactivity
• Radiocarbon
• Radiochlorine
• Radioclast
• Radiography
• Radiomen
• Radiopasteurization
• Radiosterilization
• Radish
• Raft
• Rag
• Rage
• Raid
• Rail
• Railhead
• Raillery
• Railroad
• Railroader
• Railway
• Rain
• Rainbow
• Rainfall
• Rain-maker
• Rainstorm
• Raise
• Raiser
• Raisin
• Rajah
• Rake
• Rally
• Ram
• Ramification
• Ramp
• Rampage
• Rampart
• Ranch
• Rancher
• Rancho
• Rancidity
• Rancor
• Random
• Randomization
• Range
• Rank
• Ransom
• Rap
• Rape
• Rapidity
• Rapier
• Rapport
• Rapprochement
• Rapture
• Rarity
• Rascal
• Rasp
• Rat
• Rate
• Ratification
• Ratio
• Ration
• Rationale
• Rationalism
• Rationalist
• Rationality
• Rationalization
• Rator
• Rattail
• Rattle
• Rattler
• Rattlesnake
• Rawhide
• Ray
• Razor
• Razorback
• Reaction
• Reader
• Realist
• Reality
• Realization
• Reason
• Rebuttal
• Recalcitrant
• Receiver
• Reception
• Recidivism
• Recipe
• Reciprocal
• Recollection
• Recommendation
• Reconciliation
• Reconnaissance
• Recourse
• Recreant
• Recruitment
• Rectitude
• Recuperation
• Reform
• Regatta
• Regimen
• Region
• Regulator
• Rejoinder
• Rejuvenation
• Relationship
• Relaxation
• Release
• Relic
• Relief
• Reliever
• Religion
• Reminiscence
• Remnant
• Renegade
• Renovation
• Rent
• Repartee
• Repast
• Repeal
• Report
• Reprobate
• Repugnance
• Reputation
• Request
• Research
• Resemblance
• Resource
• Respect
• Response
• Responsibility
• Rest
• Restaurant
• Restitution
• Restoration
• Result
• Reunion
• Revelry
• Reverence
• Reverie
• Revulsion
• Reward
• Rhapsody
• Rice
• Riddle
• Right
• Rise
• Road
• Robe
• Rod
• Rodomontade
• Roll
• Romantic
• Romanticism
• Romeo
• Room
• Rooter
• Rope
• Rose
• Route
• Rug
• Ruler
• Rumor
• Run
• Runner

Final Thoughts on Nouns That Start with R

Thank you for going through this article. Hopefully, you would have learned something new about the use of nouns in your daily lives, especially nouns that start with R. Just imagine for a second, what if there were no nouns – both abstract and non-abstract, how could we communicate with each other? We use nouns: to study, to put songs together, to make a living, to conduct business, and to stay disciplined. Our whole lives would have got stuck if there were no nouns because without them we wouldn’t have been able to communicate.

There is a never-ending list of nouns starting with R and new nouns are being added to it every now and then. Some of the most prominent used nouns and the ones that are rarely used have been shared with you in this article. What you can do now is that you can add new nouns to all of the above given lists of nouns beginning with R, which will surely help you build a large reservoir of nouns.

Ps. See also positive words that start with R, adjectives that start with R and verbs that start with R.