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\ ˈrīp 
\
\riper; ripest
Definition of ripe
1 : fully grown and developed : mature ripe fruit ripe wheat
2 : having mature knowledge, understanding, or judgment
3 : of advanced years : late a ripe old age
4a : suitable, appropriate the time was ripe for the attempt
b : fully prepared : ready the colonies were ripe for revolution
6 : ruddy, plump, or full like ripened fruit
a ripe figure
7 : indecent ripe language
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Examples of ripe in a Sentence
The apples are nearly ripe.
the clothes of the field hands were sweaty and ripe after a hard day's work
Recent Examples on the Web In the case of tomatoes, days until first ripe fruit are calculated from the day one sets out the transplant.
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Pam Peirce, SFChronicle.com, "Many options when growing tomatoes: What you need to know," 28 Feb. 2020 Acanthus leaves fluttered up the balustrade in tight pinwheels, curling around seed pods glistening with ripe fruit.
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Sarah Medford, WSJ, "The Metropolitan Museum of Art Orders the Full English," 24 Feb. 2020 But, donning a blond bob, wire-rim glasses, and, of course, a cardigan the bright shade of a cartoonishly ripe citrus fruit, Bricker attended a Warren campaign event to meet the senator face to face.
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Maya Phillips, The New Yorker, "The Actors Parodying Democratic Candidates in “Adore Us! Line”," 2 Feb. 2020 Jon Hinojosa likes to add ripe seasonal fruit to his caprese salads.
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Paul Stephen, ExpressNews.com, "Recipe: Jon Hinojosa’s Seasonal Caprese Salad with Fruit," 29 Jan. 2020 With so much of the menu dependent on fresh produce and ripe fruits, the kitchen has become terrific at curating a daily supply.
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BostonGlobe.com, "Healthy foods taste delicious at Cohasset’s Daily Press - The Boston Globe," 19 Dec. 2019 The sought-after notes of ripe fruit come through on both the nose and palate along with additional notes of baking spice layered atop Maker’s traditional vanilla and caramel flavors.
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Fortune, "Maker’s Mark Is Releasing Its First-Ever Limited-Release Bourbon," 22 Sep. 2019 The moment was ripe for a grand, iconoclastic theory, and that’s exactly what Piketty provided, with detailed figures and lucid prose.
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Idrees Kahloon, The New Yorker, "Thomas Piketty Goes Global," 2 Mar. 2020 In a world when nearly every piece of intellectual property from Sesame Street Muppets to Bob Dylan songs seems ripe for marketing and sales, some people still resist.
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Brian Steinberg, chicagotribune.com, "How ‘E.T.’ returned in new holiday ad for Comcast," 30 Nov. 2019
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ripe.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for ripe
ripe
adjectiveEnglish Language Learners Definition of ripe
of fruits and vegetables : fully grown and developed and ready to be eaten
: ready or suitable for something
of food and especially cheese : brought to full flavor or the best state by being stored for a period of time
See the full definition for ripe in the English Language Learners Dictionary
ripe
adjective\ ˈrīp \
\riper; ripest
Kids Definition of ripe
1 : fully grown and developed
ripe fruit
2 : of advanced years
a ripe old age
3 : ready entry 1 sense 1 They were ripe for action.
ripe
adjectiveLegal Definition of ripe
1 : of, relating to, or being a claim for relief that is ready for judicial resolution because the injury is certain to occur and is not merely hypothetical or speculative — compare moot
2 : ready and appropriate for disclosure because reasonably determined to be valid and not required to be kept secret for business reasons
—used of corporate information
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Time Traveler for ripe
The first known use of ripe was before the 12th century
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