# Rules

/ˈɹuɫz/ (US) · /ɹˈuːlz/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/rules
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 3. to be excellent

verb · CEFR B2 · Informal · Slang

a slang way to say that something or someone is very good or the best.

For teachers: an informal, evaluative use of the third-person singular verb to express that a person, thing, or concept is superlative or highly enjoyable.

- This new pizza place in town really rules.
- Among teenagers in the late nineties, the phrase 'this band rules' became a ubiquitous shorthand for any music that resonated with their subculture.

### 4. Australian football

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal · Dialect

a short name for Australian rules football.

For teachers: a shortened, uncountable reference to Australian rules football, a contact sport played between two teams of eighteen players.

- He grew up in Melbourne, so he has played rules since he was a child.
- While rugby is dominant in New South Wales, the sporting culture in Victoria is almost entirely centered around rules.

## Examples

- This new song rules.
- I love this city because the food here absolutely rules.
- While some critics dismissed the film as simplistic, the younger audience clearly felt that the soundtrack rules, driving it to the top of the charts within a week.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.