ripe

adjective

ˈrīp 

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

ripely adverb

ripeness noun

Synonyms

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

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

Why condo buyouts are on the rise The three weighed in on what makes a condo ripe for termination: 1. —Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2025

The official jour d'amour is just around the corner, and the best Valentine's Day gifts are ripe for the picking. —Annie Blackman, Allure, 24 Jan. 2025

Grapes used to produce Optik 2021 Petite Sirah hail from this vineyard and the resulting wine has aromas of ripe black plum, cigar box, and black raspberry with vibrant acidity and rounded tannins supporting flavors of blueberry, raspberry, and red currant. —Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 23 Jan. 2025

The local market is also ripe for first-time buyers: More than 42% of the housing stock is considered starter homes and nearly a third of renters in their prime homebuying years can afford to buy. —Kelsey Neubauer, CNBC, 23 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing ripe

• ripe for abuse
• ripe old age
• ripe with

Kids Definition

ripe

adjective

ˈrīp 

riper; ripest

1

: fully grown and developed

a ripe tomato

2

: having mature knowledge, understanding, or judgment

3

: ready entry 1 sense 1

ripe for action

4

: brought to just the right state

ripely adverb

ripeness noun

Legal Definition

ripe

adjective

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

ripeness noun