1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

ripe

adjective

ˈrīp How to pronounce ripe (audio)
Definition of ripenext
1
as in matured
fully grown or developed a ripe tomato

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stinking
having an unpleasant smell the clothes of the field hands were sweaty and ripe after a hard day's work

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ripe However, the 700-acre grounds are ripe for quite a bit of further development. — Basem Wasef, Robb Report, 9 Sep. 2026 Founded by Rachel Iwaniec, who got her start at Khaite before launching her own wholesale agency a little more than five years ago, RIC boasts a roster of emerging labels ripe for discovery. — Talia Abbas, Vogue, 8 Sep. 2026 Sitting more than 50% off from its July 2025 highs, RBC Capital Markets thinks Shake Shack may be at an inflection point and ripe for a turnaround in its stock. — Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 8 Sep. 2026 Premier Honeycrisp, Blondee, Gala, McIntosh and Jonathan apple varieties are ripe for the picking the first and second week of September. — Lucia Cheng, Des Moines Register, 5 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ripe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ripe
  1. matured
  2. stinking
  3. mature
  4. foul
  5. strong
  6. rotted
  7. rotten
  8. disgusting
Adjective
  • Think of this as the matured version of the Kool-Aid dip-dye technique.
    — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 7 Nov. 2025
Definition of matured
Adjective
  • America’s political landscape has become a stinking mess.
    — Mary Ellen Klas, Boston Herald, 1 June 2026
  • Not the good, high-altitude ozone that shields us from dangerous UV light, but bad ozone, hovering right above ground level — stinking, brownish, grayish photochemical smog.
    — Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
Definition of stinking
Adjective
  • The bloc has some key strengths, such as data center operating costs below the global average, mature manufacturing infrastructure, and rapid uptake of digital AI applications and clean energy.
    — Brian Wong, Fortune, 6 Sep. 2026
  • This approach is extraordinarily mature and remains the foundation of modern computing.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of mature
Adjective
  • Both banged off the Tropicana Field catwalk in foul territory, nullifying the catch made on both of them.
    — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2026
  • Peter remembers chicken wings, the foul Lower Manhattan air, and buying an industrial respirator at a hardware store.
    — Stephen Rodrick, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of foul
Adjective
  • The majority vote for Madeline, but there’s a strong Victor block.
    — Alice Burton, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The weather service warned that stronger thunderstorms on Saturday also could bring gusty winds, frequent lightning and heavy downpours.
    — Juan Ortega, Sun Sentinel, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of strong
Adjective
  • Inspect fences and perform any repairs or maintenance, such as reinforcing posts or replacing rotted sections.
    — BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2026
  • Many grapes become too rotted and are left to wither away.
    — John Mariani, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Definition of rotted
Adjective
  • Previous Evil pics have been rotten on Rotten Tomatoes with critics.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 16 Sep. 2026
  • John Mozeliak — the interim general manager charged with repairing the rotten organization — did not take responsibility.
    — Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of rotten
Adjective
  • The better to act out empire’s idea of what disgusting demonic sickness looks like.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026
  • These guys are disgusting over the radio in the heat of battle.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of disgusting

Browse Nearby Words

rip
ripe
ripen
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ripe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ripe. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of volition

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18
See More

Popular

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All