ride

1 of 2

verb

rode ˈrōd How to pronounce ride (audio) or chiefly dialectal rid ˈrid How to pronounce ride (audio) ; ridden ˈri-dᵊn How to pronounce ride (audio) or chiefly dialectal rid or rode; riding ˈrī-diŋ How to pronounce ride (audio)

intransitive verb

1
a
: to sit and travel on the back of an animal that one directs
b
: to travel in or on a conveyance
2
: to travel as if on a conveyance : be borne
rode on a wave of popularity
3
a
: to lie moored or anchored
a ship rides at anchor
b
: sail
c
: to move like a floating object
the moon rode in the sky
4
: to become supported on a point or surface
5
a
: to travel over a surface
the car rides well
b
: to move on the body
shorts that ride up
6
: to continue without interference
let it ride
7
a
: to be contingent : depend
plans on which the future rides
b
: to become bet
a lot of money riding on the favorite

transitive verb

1
a
: to travel on
ride a bike
ride the bus
b
: to move with like a rider
ride the waves
2
a
: to traverse by conveyance
rode 500 miles
b
: to ride a horse in
ride a race
3
: survive, outlast
usually used with out
rode out the gale
4
: to traverse on horseback to inspect or maintain
ride fence
5
: to mount in copulation
used of a male animal
6
a
: obsess, oppress
ridden by anxiety
b
: to harass persistently : nag
c
: tease, rib
7
8
: to project over : overlap
9
: to give with (a punch) to soften the impact
10
: to keep in partial engagement by resting a foot continuously on the pedal
ride the brakes
rideable adjective
or less commonly ridable

ride

2 of 2

noun

plural rides
1
: an act of riding
especially : a trip on horseback or by vehicle
2
: a way (such as a road or path) suitable for riding
3
: any of various mechanical devices (as at an amusement park) for riding on
4
: a trip on which gangsters take a victim to murder him
Symphony shivered. He had heard in Pentonville what "going for a little ride" meant in American crook circles.Gwyn Evans
see also take for a ride
5
: a means of transportation
especially, informal : one's personal vehicle
… buying himself a 1964 Buick Riviera and then posing with his new ride on the studio's backlot. Andrew Liszewski
6
: the qualities of travel comfort in a vehicle
Phrases
ride circuit
: to hold court in the various towns of a judicial circuit
ride for a fall
: to court disaster
ride herd on
: to keep a check on : supervise
ride high
: to experience success
ride shotgun
: to ride in the front passenger seat of a vehicle

Examples of ride in a Sentence

Verb She learned how to ride a horse when she was young. Most children learn to ride a bicycle at an early age. He rides his motorcycle to work every day. I never rode on a horse before. She got on her bicycle and rode away. He decided to walk to the movies instead of riding the bus. She rides the subway home from school. They rode the elevator to the second floor. We rode through the park in a horse-drawn carriage. The dog rode in the back of the truck. Noun We went for a ride in the country. I had my first ride in a limousine. I need a ride to work. She caught a ride with her coworker. We went on a horseback ride. The kids had a ride on a horse. They offered pony rides at the fair. The Ferris wheel is my favorite ride. We went for a ride on the roller coaster.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The director goes full white-knuckle thrill ride in its sequel, orchestrating a glorious sandworm riding sequence that took 44 days to shoot. Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 4 Mar. 2024 In state media, though, the focus was on Xi being given a traditional Uyghur hat from the descendants of a man who once, according to Communist Party mythology, rode a donkey from Xinjiang to Beijing to visit Mao Zedong. Christian Shepherd, Washington Post, 4 Mar. 2024 Where Robinson is a firebrand known for making controversial remarks, Stein is a career politician attempting to ride Cooper's popularity coattails. Phillip M. Bailey, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2024 Families prepare miniature floats for their babies to ride following the year’s theme. Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Mar. 2024 There was one location that was a six hour drive from Aqaba, just for the moment when Paul is going to ride his first sand worm. Charlie Hobbs, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Mar. 2024 The Bucks need to ride this duo in the postseason (especially when the game slows down and becomes a halfcourt affair). Brian Sampson, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 In one shot, Woolley sat behind the wheel as his wife rides in the passenger seat, and both rock matching bandanas and sunglasses to protect their faces from getting dirty. Natalia Senanayake, Peoplemag, 20 Feb. 2024 The wealth and prestige of whole kingdoms rode the waves with them. Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 20 Feb. 2024
Noun
Rider switch is available at select attractions so parents and guardians can take turns staying with kids who may not meet the height requirement or want to ride the ride, while the rest of the party enjoys it. Eve Chen, USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2024 Officers found that the red ride had been shipped to Japan shortly after being stolen. Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 4 Mar. 2024 Rise of the Resistance opened in Jan. 2020 at the Southern California park just a month after Disney World’s opening of the same ride on Dec. 5, 2019 in honor of Walt Disney’s birthday. Natalia Senanayake, Peoplemag, 4 Mar. 2024 Have a great day, drive safely, and enjoy the ride, as the future looks nice and bright – Tony the Car Guy. Tony Leopardo, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2024 It’s been one of the most challenging rides of my career so far. Bettina Zilkha, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 As a group, HQ Portfolio stocks provided better returns with less risk versus the benchmark index; less of a roller-coaster ride as evident in HQ Portfolio performance metrics. Trefis Team, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024 Lumina is also just a short ride to wineries, the farmers market and a plethora of eateries and shops downtown. Bang Advertising Staff and Correspondents, The Mercury News, 22 Feb. 2024 These pants are ideal for car rides, hiking days, and even pulling up to the hotel bar from the airport. Alexandra Domrongchai, Travel + Leisure, 22 Feb. 2024

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

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English rīdan; akin to Old High German rītan to ride, Middle Irish réidid he rides

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun

1708, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ride was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near ride

Cite this Entry

“Ride.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ride. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

ride

1 of 2 verb
rode ˈrōd How to pronounce ride (audio) ; ridden ˈrid-ᵊn How to pronounce ride (audio) ; riding ˈrīd-iŋ How to pronounce ride (audio)
1
a
: to go or be carried along on an animal's back or on or in a vehicle (as a boat, automobile, or airplane)
b
: to sit on and control so as to be carried along
ride a bicycle
2
a
: to be supported and usually carried along by
a surfboard rides the waves
b
: to float at anchor
c
: to remain afloat through : survive
ride out a storm
3
a
: carry entry 1 sense 1
rode the child on my back
b
: to travel over a surface
the car rides well
4
b
: oppress sense 2
ridden by fears
5
: to depend on something

ride

2 of 2 noun
1
: an act of riding
especially : a trip on horseback or by vehicle
a ride in the country
2
: a mechanical device (as at an amusement park) for riding on
3
: a means of transportation
needs a ride to work

Biographical Definition

Ride

biographical name

Sally Kristen 1951–2012 American astronaut

More from Merriam-Webster on ride

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