rip

1 of 5

verb

ripped; ripping

transitive verb

1
a
: to tear or split apart or open
b
: to saw or split (wood) with the grain
2
: to slash or slit with or as if with a sharp blade
3
: to hit sharply
ripped a double to left field
4
: to utter violently : spit out
ripped out an oath
5

intransitive verb

1
: to become ripped : rend
2
: to rush headlong
ripped past second base

rip

2 of 5

noun (1)

1
: a rent made by ripping : tear
2

rip

3 of 5

noun (2)

1
: a body of water made rough by the meeting of opposing tides, currents, or winds
2
: a current of water roughened by passing over an irregular bottom
3

rip

4 of 5

noun (3)

: a dissolute person : libertine
1
[Latin requiescat in pace] may he rest in peace, may she rest in peace
2
[Latin requiescant in pace] may they rest in peace
Phrases
rip into
: to tear into : attack
Choose the Right Synonym for rip

tear, rip, rend, split, cleave, rive mean to separate forcibly.

tear implies pulling apart by force and leaving jagged edges.

tear up the letter

rip implies a pulling apart in one rapid uninterrupted motion often along a line or joint.

ripped the shirt on a nail

rend implies very violent or ruthless severing or sundering.

an angry mob rent the prisoner's clothes

split implies a cutting or breaking apart in a continuous, straight, and usually lengthwise direction or in the direction of grain or layers.

split logs for firewood

cleave implies very forceful splitting or cutting with a blow.

a bolt of lightning cleaved the giant oak

rive occurs most often in figurative use.

a political party riven by conflict

Examples of rip in a Sentence

Verb She ripped the fabric in half. He ripped open the package. The dog ripped the pillow to shreds. The force of the explosion ripped a hole in the wall. Her coat ripped when it caught on the doorknob. I ripped the poster off the wall. The sink had been ripped from the wall. He ripped the page out of the magazine. She ripped off her mask. He ripped the letter from my hands. Noun (1) the hoe left rips in the lawn Noun (3) something of a rip in his youth, he eventually settled down
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.
Verb
But Paredes singled on a first-pitch fastball from Jax, and Alvarez ripped the reliever’s pitch for a no-doubt, two-run homer. Dan Hayes, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025 Gabriel was among at least nine people killed across several states after a rash of deadly storms ripped through the central US, spawning dozens of tornadoes, dumping more than a foot of rain and leaving catastrophic flooding. Holly Yan, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2025
Noun
The statement is in effect until 8 p.m. Caught in a rip: How to stay safe Rip currents are channelized currents of water flowing away from shore at surf beaches. Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 6 Apr. 2025 The negative space formed a rip curl beneath her soles. Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 26 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for rip

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English rippen, from or akin to Middle Dutch reppen, rippen to pull, jerk

Noun (2)

perhaps from rip entry 2

Noun (3)

perhaps by shortening & alteration from reprobate

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun (1)

1673, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1775, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun (3)

1781, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rip was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rip.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rip. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

rip

1 of 4 verb
ripped; ripping
1
: to tear, cut apart, or open
2
: to slash or slit with or as if with a sharp blade
3
: to go with a rush
ripper noun

rip

2 of 4 noun
: a torn place : tear

rip

3 of 4 noun
: a body of water made rough by the meeting of opposing currents or by passing over a rough bottom

rip

4 of 4 noun
: a person who acts wild or gets into trouble
Etymology

Noun

probably a shortened and altered form of reprobate (noun)

More from Merriam-Webster on rip

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