ripe

adjective

ˈrīp 

riper; ripest

1

: fully grown and developed : mature

ripe fruit

ripe wheat

2

: having mature knowledge, understanding, or judgment

3

: of advanced years : late

a ripe old age

4

a

: suitable, appropriate

the time was ripe for the attempt

b

: fully prepared : ready

the colonies were ripe for revolution

5

a

: brought by aging to full flavor or the best state : mellow

ripe cheese

b

: smelly, stinking

6

: ruddy, plump, or full like ripened fruit

a ripe figure

7

: indecent

ripe language

ripely adverb

ripeness noun

Synonyms

• matured
• mature
• ripened

Examples of ripe in a Sentence

The apples are nearly ripe.

the clothes of the field hands were sweaty and ripe after a hard day's work

Recent Examples on the Web

As The Athletic discovered on a recent stroll along the waterfront from the city centre, there’s certainly plenty of land ripe for development. —Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2025

The moment is ripe for Maduro's fall, and meaningful retaliation is unlikely. —Kristina Foltz, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025

For brands like Chanel, Dior, Gucci and Balenciaga, the accessories and footwear categories are especially ripe for reinvention. —Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2025

The beloved doc seems ripe for a follow-up down the road, and while he’s already been approached about the possibility, Liu is currently of the mind that lightning doesn’t strike twice. —Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English rīpe; akin to Old English rīpan, reopan to reap

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing ripe

• ripe for abuse
• ripe old age
• ripe with

Rhymes for ripe

• gripe
• hype
• lipe
• pipe
• sipe
• skype
• snipe
• stipe
• stripe
• strype
• swipe
• tripe

Kids Definition

ripe

adjective

ˈrīp 

riper; ripest

1

: fully grown and developed

a ripe tomato

2

: having mature knowledge, understanding, or judgment

3

: ready entry 1 sense 1

ripe for action

4

: brought to just the right state

ripely adverb

ripeness noun

Legal Definition

ripe

adjective

1

: of, relating to, or being a claim for relief that is ready for judicial resolution because the injury is certain to occur and is not merely hypothetical or speculative compare moot

2

: ready and appropriate for disclosure because reasonably determined to be valid and not required to be kept secret for business reasons

—used of corporate information

ripeness noun