overripe

adjective

ˌō-vər-ˈrīp How to pronounce overripe (audio)
Definition of overripenext
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

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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 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 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
  1. decayed
  2. degenerate
  3. weak
  4. decadent
  5. degraded
  6. effete
  7. washed-up
  8. soft
Adjective
  • Discard any that look dead or decayed.
    — Helena Madden, Martha Stewart, 2 Apr. 2026
  • The farm buildings on the property—long verandas, shearing sheds, and concrete kennels—are old and decayed, remnants from long before the group showed up.
    — Robert Rubsam, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2026
Definition of decayed
Adjective
  • Populist theatrics, divorced from the prosaic work of consensus-building and problem-solving, degenerate into political escapism.
    — Will Marshall, Washington Post, 18 July 2026
  • Besides being the degenerate son of Priscilla Presley, and asking the public to fund this pipe dream, there's so much else to parse.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2026
Definition of degenerate
Adjective
  • Even durable bouclé material won’t save a sofa built on a weak foundation.
    — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 22 July 2026
  • Further, the hinge mechanism provides a bit more assistance, and the magnets are a bit weaker, reducing the force needed to open the phone by half.
    — Eric Zeman, PC Magazine, 22 July 2026
Definition of weak
Adjective
  • Interest—from both visitors and islanders—is gently shifting away from polishing playboy yachts or appeasing the decadent whims of retirees, to something, well, more real.
    — Jonnie Bayfield, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 July 2026
  • This spring, the carrier introduced its first-ever international business class, complete with lie‑flat suites and decadent in-flight sundaes from Salt & Straw.
    — Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 17 July 2026
Definition of decadent
Adjective
  • Funding is also a problem, as the severely degraded local health system in eastern Congo, as well as NGOs, struggles to cope as Ebola spreads in remote rural areas.
    — Emmet Livingstone, NPR, 23 July 2026
  • Experts warn this serves as an early indicator for global food systems, stressing that degraded ecosystems worsen climate shocks.
    — Jamie Hailstone, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of degraded
Adjective
  • Republicans have sought to cast him as an effete extremist.
    — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 29 May 2026
  • Scarf critics accuse the accessory—and by extension, its wearers—of being effete or affected.
    — Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 1 Dec. 2025
Definition of effete
Adjective
  • Deborah sees Ava as entitled and self-righteous, Ava sees Deborah as washed-up and boring.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026
  • Hacks season 5 Five years ago, Ava (Hannah Einbinder) struggled to accept her lot in life when she was hired to be washed-up comedian Deborah Vance's (Jean Smart) new writer.
    — Rebecca Aizin, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026
Definition of washed-up
Adjective
  • Smaller nonprofit efforts — often faith-based — can also offer a soft landing place, but few exist.
    — Amber Gaudet July 18, Charlotte Observer, 18 July 2026
  • Most accounts read Qatar's rise as gas turned into money, turned into visibility, a soft-power story with expensive props.
    — Güney Yıldız, Forbes.com, 18 July 2026
Definition of soft

Browse Nearby Words

overriding
overripe
overrode
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Cite this Entry

“Overripe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overripe. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

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