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.
Black men had been perceived as a voting bloc ripe for Donald Trump to attract after many expressed concerns a year ago about Joe Biden’s re-election efforts. Curtis Bunn, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024 The owner of Zone 9 Farms doesn’t have a traditional stand full of big ripe fruits and vegetables. Terry Collins, USA TODAY, 4 Nov. 2024 But despite anecdotal reports of non-human animals appearing drunk after consuming ripe fruit or sugary substances, there's been very little research into its actual prevalence in the broader kingdom of life. New Atlas, 2 Nov. 2024 Just 10 states have still not adopted Medicaid expansion and those are key areas ripe for expansion, health insurers say. Bruce Japsen, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024 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 22 Nov. 2024.

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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