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 Its most familiar form combines sturdy bread (either stale or intentionally dried) with ripe tomatoes, olive oil, vinegar, onion, and herbs. — Lillian Syme, Bon Appetit Magazine, 17 Aug. 2026 An extended statewide drought, hot and windy weather, and forests ransacked by pine beetles persist, making conditions ripe for fires. — Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 16 Aug. 2026 Pick nearly ripe tomatoes before heavy rain to prevent cracking. — Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Aug. 2026 Imagine the ripe smell of swamp-wet dogs, the acrid stench of overheated, enraged bear, the slippery warm blood of pack members already lost; the simply insufferable noise and confusion in that dank little hole. — Paul Schullery, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 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
  • Then again, even if this is as good or better than Peacemaker, two mature live-action TV shows won’t be enough to revive DC at movie theaters, especially when the next movie coming to the big screen is hardly a family-friendly affair.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026
  • An unknown person has been poisoning mature pine trees at Burnt Cedar Beach in Incline Village since 2022, with 16 more trees targeted this July and August — a case some suspect involves a wealthy resident trying to improve their view of Lake Tahoe.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of mature
Adjective
  • This isn't the first time Pappas has been criticized for using foul language.
    — Zak Spector, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Portland’s Emily Engstler and the Mercury’s Kahleah Copper traded baskets before Katie Lou Samuelson hit the second of two foul shots with 20 seconds left to put the Fire up 84-82.
    — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of foul
Adjective
  • Reese missed badly on the layup attempt, but her strong play sparked an Atlanta Dream rally before halftime.
    — Michael Cunningham, AJC.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Historically, the strongest predictor of a recruiting boom has been a weak economy.
    — Steven Beynon, ABC News, 17 Aug. 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
  • Apparently, some bacteria were using oxygen in the tunnel to metabolize sulfur compounds in the water, and that was producing the rotten-egg smell.
    — James Dinneen, New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Remove any ripe or rotten food where the flies may have laid eggs.
    — Emma Jacobson, Bon Appetit Magazine, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of rotten
Adjective
  • In a series distinguished by copious disgusting battle scenes, Ormund co-stars in one of its very grossest—a gross-on-gross-on-gross flambé—and almost gets in one last barf.
    — Sarah Larson, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
  • His central characters can be nasty, disgusting, violent, hysterically cruel, and passionately consumed.
    — CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 8 Aug. 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 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on ripe

Nglish: Translation of ripe for Spanish Speakers

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 divulge

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

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

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'
See More

Popular

See More

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

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
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
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All