ripe

play

adjective \ ˈrīp \

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

Earlier today, in the Spanish Mediterranean town of Bunol, around 22,000 people gathered to throw 150 tons of ripe tomatoes at each other in the world's biggest annual tomato fight.

— alan taylor, The Atlantic, "La Tomatina 2017," 30 Aug. 2017
The time was ripe for third parties to garner more attention.

— jeff cimmino, National Review, "The American Solidarity Party Charts Its Own Path," 7 Aug. 2017
Ripe cherry and plum aromas are complemented by earthy undercurrents of smoky cocoa and cola, and highlighted by traces of citrus blossom and lemon.

— chateau ste michelle, The Seattle Times, "From grapes to glass at Chateau Ste. Michelle," 7 July 2017
A little over a year ago, at the ripe old age of 26, Harrier landed a career-igniting role as Spider-Man’s Liz Allan.

— ashley weatherford, The Cut, "Laughing and Crying With Laura Harrier, the New Star of Spider-Man," 5 July 2017
To transport ripe-to-perfection tomatoes and stone fruits home from the farmers market free of bruises and busted skin, stock up on these birch wine carriers.

— martha stewart, star-telegram, "Projects perfect for celebrating the red, white and blue," 28 June 2017
What could be more ripe for proselytization than a preschool full of children likely getting Bible lessons with their finger paints?

— robin marty, Cosmopolitan, "A Playground in Missouri Could Have a Huge Impact on Your Life," 27 June 2017
Hospital employee Kenneth Cunningham was among the morning's first visitors, choosing a ripe watermelon for his family.

— sue ellen ross, Post-Tribune, "Methodist expands farmers market offerings," 23 June 2017
Any or all of these locations are ripe with fun activities (read: not cheesy), accessible, affordable and substantive, according to Travel & Leisure.

— lori rackl, chicagotribune.com, "Field of dreams come true: Illinois corn maze celebrates Cubs World Series win," 22 June 2017

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

See Words from the same year

ripe Synonyms

Synonyms

adult, full-blown, full-fledged, matured, mature, ripened

Antonyms

adolescent, green, immature, juvenile, unripe, unripened, young, youngish, youthful

Related Words

aged, aging (or ageing), long-lived, old, older; golden, mellow

Near Antonyms

blooming, blossoming, burgeoning, flourishing, flowering; undeveloped, unfinished, unfledged, unformed

Other Botany Terms

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

RIPE Defined for English Language Learners

ripe

play

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

play

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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