as in decayed
having lost forcefulness, courage, or spirit
an overripe artist whose abstract paintings are no longer considered fresh or significant
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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 the quiet of the Sabbath morning when all the neighborhood was wrapped in slumber, some dastardly degenerate crept into the room, choked her to death, assaulted her criminally and left her bruised and bleeding body lying on the bed.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Like people, joints naturally degenerate over time, and arthritis is particularly common in older pets.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The company attributed the decline to weak demand, shifting some shipments to Q4 and an unfavorable mix.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
3 Nov. 2025
-
It is considered a serious condition and can be dangerous or life-threatening, especially to older adults, people with weak immune systems and pregnant women.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
Freep.com,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Next, a creamy chocolate filling makes a decadent base for light and fluffy mousse.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
25 Oct. 2025
-
This peanut butter, scotch, cream, and whole-egg cocktail is a decadent addition to home bar arsenal.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Previous studies relied on a process known as polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which amplifies small or degraded fragments of DNA, allowing scientists to analyze genetic material even from old or damaged organic matter.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
24 Oct. 2025
-
For Capone, this high precedence of pinworm was incredibly surprising, given that the samples were over 1,000 years old and the DNA would have been highly degraded over such a long period of time.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
22 Oct. 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
-
The film, about a group of revolutionaries who reunite to help one of their own — Bob Ferguson, a washed-up, paranoid stoner — rescue his daughter from their longtime enemy, has a lot to say about our fraught, divisive reality.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Sep. 2025
-
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
Adjective
-
The throw is crafted with acrylic, but don’t be fooled by its price; the intricate, woven yarn resembles that of chenille, with a buttery-smooth texture that feels luxuriously soft to the touch.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
4 Nov. 2025
-
In the latter, Ladd played Flo, a candid and cutting waitress who shows her softer side while befriending Ellen Brustyn’s Alice.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overripe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overripe. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share