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
6
: ruddy, plump, or full like ripened fruit
a ripe figure
7
: indecent
ripe language
ripely adverb
ripeness noun

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
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.
Thomas Webster at the Jan. 6 Rally Inevitably, some of the outcomes were ripe for second-guessing. Alec MacGillis, ProPublica, 6 Feb. 2025 Many of these shows now are unfamiliar to younger audiences and are ripe for revival. Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2025 The time is not ripe for any further legislative action this session. Jim Martin, The Denver Post, 4 Feb. 2025 Do a taste test to figure out when your crop is ripe. Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Feb. 2025 See all Example Sentences for ripe 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of ripe was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near ripe

Cite this Entry

“Ripe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ripe. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

ripe

adjective
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

More from Merriam-Webster on ripe

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