rip

1 of 5

verb

ripped; ripping

transitive verb

1
a
: to tear or split apart or open
b
: to saw or split (wood) with the grain
2
: to slash or slit with or as if with a sharp blade
3
: to hit sharply
ripped a double to left field
4
: to utter violently : spit out
ripped out an oath
5

intransitive verb

1
: to become ripped : rend
2
: to rush headlong
ripped past second base

rip

2 of 5

noun (1)

1
: a rent made by ripping : tear
2

rip

3 of 5

noun (2)

1
: a body of water made rough by the meeting of opposing tides, currents, or winds
2
: a current of water roughened by passing over an irregular bottom
3

rip

4 of 5

noun (3)

: a dissolute person : libertine
1
[Latin requiescat in pace] may he rest in peace, may she rest in peace
2
[Latin requiescant in pace] may they rest in peace
Phrases
rip into
: to tear into : attack
Choose the Right Synonym for rip

tear, rip, rend, split, cleave, rive mean to separate forcibly.

tear implies pulling apart by force and leaving jagged edges.

tear up the letter

rip implies a pulling apart in one rapid uninterrupted motion often along a line or joint.

ripped the shirt on a nail

rend implies very violent or ruthless severing or sundering.

an angry mob rent the prisoner's clothes

split implies a cutting or breaking apart in a continuous, straight, and usually lengthwise direction or in the direction of grain or layers.

split logs for firewood

cleave implies very forceful splitting or cutting with a blow.

a bolt of lightning cleaved the giant oak

rive occurs most often in figurative use.

a political party riven by conflict

Examples of rip in a Sentence

Verb She ripped the fabric in half. He ripped open the package. The dog ripped the pillow to shreds. The force of the explosion ripped a hole in the wall. Her coat ripped when it caught on the doorknob. I ripped the poster off the wall. The sink had been ripped from the wall. He ripped the page out of the magazine. She ripped off her mask. He ripped the letter from my hands. Noun (1) the hoe left rips in the lawn Noun (3) something of a rip in his youth, he eventually settled down
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Dodgers Dodgers win Game 2, but will Shohei Ohtani injury complicate World Series path? Oct. 26, 2024 Treinen struck out slugger Aaron Judge with a nasty, down-and-away, 85-mph sweeper, but Giancarlo Stanton ripped a hard grounder off the third-base bag for an RBI single that made it 4-2. Mike Digiovanna, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2024 The game was inspired by real life conflicts ripped straight from the headlines and would result in the franchise’s first direct sequel with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009). Cade Onder, Rolling Stone, 25 Oct. 2024
Noun
With artfully distressed rips around the knees and a range of shades and inseams available, these jeans are perfect for everything from lounging at home to coffee runs. Laura Lajiness Kaupke, Glamour, 27 Sep. 2024 After our many hikes, the shoes have no signs of rips, tears, or fraying. Kevin Brouillard, Travel + Leisure, 30 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for rip 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rip.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English rippen, from or akin to Middle Dutch reppen, rippen to pull, jerk

Noun (2)

perhaps from rip entry 2

Noun (3)

perhaps by shortening & alteration from reprobate

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun (1)

1673, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1775, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun (3)

1781, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rip was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near rip

Cite this Entry

“Rip.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rip. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

rip

1 of 4 verb
ripped; ripping
1
: to tear, cut apart, or open
2
: to slash or slit with or as if with a sharp blade
3
: to go with a rush
ripper noun

rip

2 of 4 noun
: a torn place : tear

rip

3 of 4 noun
: a body of water made rough by the meeting of opposing currents or by passing over a rough bottom

rip

4 of 4 noun
: a person who acts wild or gets into trouble
Etymology

Noun

probably a shortened and altered form of reprobate (noun)

More from Merriam-Webster on rip

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