Meanings
nounRatner moment (plural Ratner moments)
plural Ratner moments
- colloquialA situation where one harms one's reputation or standing by making ill-advised remarks.
Origin
After British businessman Gerald Ratner, whose jewellery business nearly collapsed in 1991 after he jokingly denigrated the company's products.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
Ratner moment. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Ratner%20moment
MLA
“Ratner moment.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Ratner%20moment. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Ratner moment,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Ratner%20moment.
Source: Ratner moment on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.