ripe

adjective \ ˈrīp \

|Updated on: 9 Aug 2018

Examples: ripe in a Sentence

Definition of ripe

riper; ripest

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

4 a : suitable, appropriate

the time was ripe for the attempt

b : fully prepared : ready

the colonies were ripe for revolution

5 a : brought by aging to full flavor or the best state : mellow

ripe cheese

b : smelly, stinking

6 : ruddy, plump, or full like ripened fruit

a ripe figure

7 : indecent

ripe language

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ripely

adverb

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ripeness

noun

See ripe defined for English-language learners

See ripe defined for kids

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 of ripe from the Web

Because the position is so ripe with stat-producing talent, an owner could spend a pick on Luck and still get another arm toward the end of the draft. ...

— Indianapolis Star, "Andrew Luck is throwing. Oddsmakers and analysts aren't buying it.," 28 June 2018
Her retreat of choice is Mount Tamalpais Watershed, a 45-minute drive north of San Francisco, a place ripe with pristine views and wildlife.

— marissa miller, Vogue, "How to Spend a Day in San Francisco, According to Chef Dominique Crenn," 17 June 2018
The pit is ripe with opportunities though, including pouring sugar in the car's fuel tank and loosening the tires.

— hayden dingman, PCWorld, "Hands-on: Hitman 2's murderous puzzle sandbox lets you wield fish as a weapon," 14 June 2018
Sometimes shows like the Love & Hip-Hop franchise rely on their audience's understanding of a limited worldview, ripe with respectability politics and heteronormativity to create tension for their plotlines.

— refinery29.com, "The Evolution Of LGBTQ+ Representation On This Black Reality Show," 11 June 2018
The village is ripe with seafaring history: old sea-captain’s home still stand riverside along Mystic’s outskirts, and centuries-old ships dock beside kayaks and standup paddleboards in its waters.

— laura kiniry, Smithsonian, "The 20 Best Small Towns To Visit in 2018," 5 June 2018
The term has an almost Freudian feel — conjuring, perhaps, an overstuffed psyche, ripe with repression.

— jolene edgar, Allure, "The Kybella Debate: Why Some Plastic Surgeons and Dermatologists Are Reconsidering the Chin-Slimming Injectable," 30 May 2018
The numerous varieties of flowering plants like impatiens, spikes, lobelia and mums, have been carefully cultivated and timed to be ripe with color just as the seasons change.

— michael sangiacomo, cleveland.com, "The plant you give Mom on Mother's Day likely has local roots (photos)," 13 May 2018
The fun film is so ripe with Lifetime’s typical cheesy lines and over-the-top scenes — the only things missing from it are plotlines about teen STDs and evil stepmothers.

— lisa ryan, The Cut, "The 11 Most Lifetime Moments From the Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Movie," 13 May 2018

These 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.

Origin and Etymology of ripe

Middle English, from Old English rīpe; akin to Old English rīpan, reopan to reap

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

ripe Synonyms

Other Botany Terms

annual, burgeon, chloroplast, nomenclature, succulent, sylvan, xylem

RIPE Defined for English Language Learners

ripe

adjective

Definition of ripe for English Language Learners

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

RIPE Defined for Kids

ripe

adjective \ ˈrīp \

Definition of ripe for Students

riper; ripest

1 : fully grown and developed

ripe fruit

2 : of advanced years

a ripe old age

3 : ¹ready 1

They were ripe for action.

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ripeness

noun

Law Dictionary

ripe

adjective

legal 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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