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
Skorup suggested that the public interest standard was ripe for a challenge, given the current court’s skepticism of broad regulatory power.
—
Ted Johnson, Deadline, 19 Sep. 2025
By the mid-Aughts, the deindustrializing superpower, committed to forever wars abroad and extreme inequality at home, was ripe for Trumpism.
—Pankaj Mishra, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Having guided thousands of nominations to date, Llewellyn-Slade believes the American market is ripe for discovery.
—Matt Emma, USA Today, 19 Sep. 2025
In a demo, a user is seen asking if the tomatoes in their view are ripe and then requests recipe suggestions.
—PC Magazine, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ripe
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Ted Johnson, Deadline, 19 Sep. 2025
By the mid-Aughts, the deindustrializing superpower, committed to forever wars abroad and extreme inequality at home, was ripe for Trumpism.
—Pankaj Mishra, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Having guided thousands of nominations to date, Llewellyn-Slade believes the American market is ripe for discovery.
—Matt Emma, USA Today, 19 Sep. 2025
In a demo, a user is seen asking if the tomatoes in their view are ripe and then requests recipe suggestions.
—PC Magazine, 18 Sep. 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 22 Sep. 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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