as in decayed
having lost forcefulness, courage, or spirit
an overripe artist whose abstract paintings are no longer considered fresh or significant
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Recent Examples of overripe
At its proudly overripe heart, the series is a gothic domestic soap—Lifetime themes gussied up in Southern finery.
—
Inkoo Kang, The New Yorker, 31 Oct. 2022
But at the end of 2021, S&P profits already looked overripe.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2022
Your standard kelewele recipe calls for chopping an overripe plantain into bite-size pieces and coating it in a blend of garlic, ginger, onion, crushed red pepper, and other spices before frying it in sizzling oil.
—Adjoa D. Danso, Bon Appétit, 2 Nov. 2021
Check your raspberry patch and harvest every few days to avoid overripe fruit that attracts picnic beetles and other pests.
—Melinda Myers, Star Tribune, 30 July 2021
Chilling your tomatoes can cause loss of sweetness and texture but is an option if the tomatoes are overripe (and always refrigerate a tomato that has been cut).
—Patricia S York, Southern Living, 2 June 2021
In cooler vintages, when the grapes are not so overripe, this wine should excel.
—Washington Post, 30 Apr. 2021
At any given moment in any given store, the avocados might be overripe, the organic carrots sold out, the fancy olive oil moved from its normal location to a new display.
—Johana Bhuiyan, chicagotribune.com, 31 Aug. 2020
The wines are full-bodied but not at all overripe or forced, to use Thera’s term.
—Eric Asimov, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2020
Inkoo Kang, The New Yorker, 31 Oct. 2022
But at the end of 2021, S&P profits already looked overripe.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2022
Your standard kelewele recipe calls for chopping an overripe plantain into bite-size pieces and coating it in a blend of garlic, ginger, onion, crushed red pepper, and other spices before frying it in sizzling oil.
—Adjoa D. Danso, Bon Appétit, 2 Nov. 2021
Check your raspberry patch and harvest every few days to avoid overripe fruit that attracts picnic beetles and other pests.
—Melinda Myers, Star Tribune, 30 July 2021
Chilling your tomatoes can cause loss of sweetness and texture but is an option if the tomatoes are overripe (and always refrigerate a tomato that has been cut).
—Patricia S York, Southern Living, 2 June 2021
In cooler vintages, when the grapes are not so overripe, this wine should excel.
—Washington Post, 30 Apr. 2021
At any given moment in any given store, the avocados might be overripe, the organic carrots sold out, the fancy olive oil moved from its normal location to a new display.
—Johana Bhuiyan, chicagotribune.com, 31 Aug. 2020
The wines are full-bodied but not at all overripe or forced, to use Thera’s term.
—Eric Asimov, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overripe
Adjective
-
Of the 20 dead cats, eight were too decayed for a necropsy exam, which determines the cause of death of a dead animal and any associated diseases or injuries.—
Marina Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
7 Aug. 2025
-
The breakthrough came when researchers focused on coelomic fluid, the internal liquid surrounding the sea stars’ organs, rather than tissue from decayed specimens.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
In his native Germany, he was reviled by the Nazis as a degenerate artist.—
Celia Bell
July 22,
Literary Hub,
22 July 2025
-
In a guest role that’s been extremely well hidden in the months leading up to the premiere, Bradley Cooper turns heel as Elijah Gemstone, a degenerate con man who sees right through Abel Grieves’s lucrative scam before plugging him in the forehead.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
9 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The ultrarich formula uses amino acids to reinforce weak strands, glycerin to hydrate and soften, silicones to smooth the cuticle, and coconut oil to add more moisture and shine.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
-
China’s economy showed further signs of weakness last month, with key data Monday revealing factory output and consumption rising at their weakest pace for around a year.—
Nino Paoli,
Fortune,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Spacious walk-in closets, fresh flowers every day, and decadent soaking tubs add to the Ritz-Carlton feel.—
Amanda Eyre Ward,
Travel + Leisure,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Our family rode all the classic rides at Magic Kingdom, journeyed to France at EPCOT via Skyliner for a decadent breakfast, spotted hippos and lions on an open-air safari tour at Animal Kingdom, and roasted s’mores over a toasty campfire at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort.—
Linnea Bailey,
Southern Living,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Smoke will also lead to degraded air quality.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
8 Sep. 2025
-
The challenge grows in degraded or denied GPS environments, where many existing bombs lose precision.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
What we’re left with is an effete description that exists for itself and doesn’t illuminate the character.—
Hannah Gold,
New Yorker,
29 Aug. 2025
-
Cutaways to bits involving sad-sack local cop Maccarico (Marco Bonadei) interviewing kooky characters like an effete server (Milutin Dapcevic) at Taco King and Oreste getting a dressing down from his ex-wife, Arabella’s Mother (Margareth Made), just feel like mildly amusing filler.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Advertisement This is what happened last year when their most significant trade-deadline pickup was washed-up pitcher Lance Lynn, or the year before when their major summer acquisition was strikeout-prone outfielder Joey Gallo. Dodgers Clayton Kershaw returns to the Dodgers.—
Dylan Hernández,
Los Angeles Times,
25 July 2024
-
Forget washed-up — Escola might not yet be a widely recognizable name, but the 37-year-old is on track to become one of the most original and influential voices in the alternative comedy scene.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
6 Feb. 2024
Adjective
-
Athletique There is something edgy yet soft about a funnel-neck in a technical fabric—lean in and pair a wind- and water-resistant shell with trousers and sneakers for a touch of sport, or style it with a pencil skirt and kitten heels for a more feminine feel.—
Andrea Zendejas,
Vogue,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Swift wore Elson 4, the brand’s best-selling blue-red, but the bullet-proof formula comes in 12 beautiful hues ranging from a soft beige peach (Nude Cabaret) to a deep bronzed rose (Flesh 3).—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overripe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overripe. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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