ridden

adjective

rid·​den ˈri-dᵊn How to pronounce ridden (audio)
1
: harassed, oppressed, or obsessed by
usually used in combination
guilt-ridden
debt-ridden
2
: excessively full of or supplied with
usually used in combination
slum-ridden

Examples of ridden in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Cities tend to be more ridden with criminal gangs than are country villages. George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2023 China’s role in the breakthrough shook up dynamics in a conflict-ridden region where the United States has been the main mediator for decades. Reuters, NBC News, 6 Apr. 2023 The 52-year-old Mizner, then at the height of his fame and wealth, turned to a basically deserted stretch of land with loads of scrub and mosquito-ridden ponds, home to Finnish settlers, mostly farmers, and a few Seminoles. John Dolen, Sun Sentinel, 30 Mar. 2023 Lab faucets at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore run with rust-ridden water, according to UMES President Heidi Anderson. Sabrina Leboeuf, Baltimore Sun, 13 Mar. 2023 Cooper realizes that Red is living in the cobweb-ridden building, but this concerning development is set aside once Red brings up Panabaker. Tanya Melendez, EW.com, 13 Mar. 2023 It was filmed in New York, just as the city was descending into a period of particularly vice-ridden dysfunction. Brent Lang, Variety, 8 Mar. 2023 Resurrecting the tomfoolery of Dogberry (Wesley Mann), the doddering, malaprop-ridden constable of the town, and his bungling associates, is a herculean challenge. Charles McNultytheater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 13 Feb. 2023 The National Park Service’s legislative provision created a problem: All the Pentagon had were its old, error-ridden records, without the Barkers’ corrections. Dave Philipps, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ridden.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1587, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ridden was in 1587

Dictionary Entries Near ridden

Cite this Entry

“Ridden.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ridden. Accessed 28 Nov. 2023.

Kids Definition

ridden

adjective
rid·​den ˈrid-ᵊn How to pronounce ridden (audio)
: extremely concerned with or burdened by
guilt-ridden
slum-ridden
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