ripple

1 of 2

verb

rip·​ple ˈri-pəl 

rippled; rippling ˈri-p(ə-)liŋ 

intransitive verb

1

a

: to become lightly ruffled or covered with small waves

b

: to flow in small waves

c

: to fall in soft undulating folds

the scarf rippled to the floor

2

: to flow with a light rise and fall of sound or inflection

laughter rippled over the audience

3

: to move with an undulating motion or so as to cause ripples

the canoe rippled through the water

4

: to have or produce a ripple effect : spread

the news rippled outwards

transitive verb

1

: to stir up small waves on

2

: to impart a wavy motion or appearance to

rippling his arm muscles

3

: to utter or play with a slight rise and fall of sound

rippler

ˈri-p(ə-)lər 

noun

ripple

2 of 2

noun

1

a

: a shallow stretch of rough water in a stream

b(1)

: the ruffling of the surface of water

(2)

: a small wave

2

a

: ripple mark

b

: a sound like that of rippling water

a ripple of laughter

c

: a usually slight noticeable effect or reaction

A ripple of fear/excitement spread through the room.

ripply

ˈri-p(ə-)lē 

adjective

Synonyms of ripple

Verb

• splash
• wash
• bubble
• trickle

Examples of ripple in a Sentence

Verb

Water rippled under the dock.

We could see the lion's muscles ripple.

A cool breeze rippled the water.

Noun

The pebble made ripples in the pond when I threw it in.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

That shift in mindset is rippling through mountain and foothill communities too. — Sara B. Hansen, Denver Post, 24 July 2026

Layers of padded fabric created a rippling sand dune effect, while the structured bodice and exaggerated shoulders gave the look a futuristic edge. — Amanda Le, InStyle, 23 July 2026

Noun

The design effectively changed the ‘wall of the reservoir’ so that electrons could not escape and the ripple of a single electron could be amplified in the form of a large signal. — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 24 July 2026

LeBron James has made his decision and the ripples have spread. — Ken Sugiura, AJC.com, 24 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

perhaps frequentative of rip entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1671, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun

1755, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing ripple

• ripple effect
• ripple mark

Rhymes for ripple

• cripple
• nipple
• stipple
• tipple
• triple
• participle

Kids Definition

ripple

1 of 2 verb

rip·​ple ˈrip-əl 

rippled; rippling -(ə-)liŋ 

1

a

: to become or cause to become covered with small waves

b

: to flow in small waves

2

: to make a sound like that of water flowing in small waves

laughter rippled through the crowd

3

: to move with a wavy motion

ripple

2 of 2 noun

1

a

: the disturbing of the surface of water

b

: a small wave or a mark like a small wave

2

: a sound like that of rippling water