To save this word, you'll need to log in.
Rip van Win·kle | \ ˌrip-(ˌ)van-ˈwiŋ-kəl 
, -vən- \
, -vən- \Definition of Rip van Winkle
: a ne'er-do-well in a story in Washington Irving's Sketch Book who sleeps for 20 years
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on Rip van Winkle
What made you want to look up Rip van Winkle? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
July 2020 Words of the Day Quiz
- Which is a synonym of mien?
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
- July 2020 Words of the Day Quiz Take the quiz
- Difficult Spelling Words Quiz
Can you spell these 15 tricky spelling words?
Take the quiz - Spell It
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
Take the quiz - Dictionary Devil
The dictionary has been scrambled—can you put it back together?
Play the game
Share Rip van Winkle
Time Traveler for Rip van Winkle
The first known use of Rip van Winkle was circa 1820
See more words from the same year