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
Synonyms
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
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 
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.
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
Articles Related to ripe
Dictionary Entries Near ripe
Cite this Entry
“Ripe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ripe. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share