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
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
Yet a life so big and complicated is always ripe for further exploration.
—
Jeff Pearlman, Rolling Stone, 17 Oct. 2025
Try mashing a quarter of a ripe avocado and spreading it on your bread slices.
—Sarah Garone, Health, 17 Oct. 2025
Her 2022 Cabernet Franc is garnet colored in the glass and has sultry aromas of crushed violet petal, bell pepper, pencil lead, ripe cherry, and dark chocolate.
—Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2025
The race seems ripe for another candidate or two to jump in.
—Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ripe
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Jeff Pearlman, Rolling Stone, 17 Oct. 2025
Try mashing a quarter of a ripe avocado and spreading it on your bread slices.
—Sarah Garone, Health, 17 Oct. 2025
Her 2022 Cabernet Franc is garnet colored in the glass and has sultry aromas of crushed violet petal, bell pepper, pencil lead, ripe cherry, and dark chocolate.
—Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2025
The race seems ripe for another candidate or two to jump in.
—Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ripe
Cite this Entry
“Ripe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ripe. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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