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

Strange and da Costa point to last year’s study out of OpenAI and the University of Pennsylvania to illustrate their point how many professionals are ripe for AI copilots and agents. —Joe McKendrick, Forbes, 27 Sep. 2024

Swingers or not, these women’s lives are ripe for reality TV-making. —Katie Campione, Deadline, 26 Sep. 2024

Read the full Gemini Daily Horoscope Cancer (June 22 - July 22) Today is ripe for existential exploration. —USA TODAY, 20 Sep. 2024

While there’s more than enough to keep the whole family engaged with those activities alone, the best time to visit is throughout October, when the lion’s share of the farm’s apples are ripe and the pumpkins are ready to pick too. —Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Sep. 2024

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