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
Conventional wisdom says that the business is ripe for it, because there are too many services aimed at general audiences, and the landscape just keeps getting more confusing.
—
Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, 7 Jan. 2025
The nose features ripe black cherries, plums, violets, and hints of tobacco.
—Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 7 Jan. 2025
But, as noted here two months ago , the starting point in 2024 was not as ripe for such a sustained rotation, and beyond that the burst higher in cyclical plays ran right into another rollover in the economic-surprise dynamics.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 6 Jan. 2025
And just like the original recipe, this one helps use up ripe bananas that need to be gone ASAP.
—Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 6 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for ripe 
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Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, 7 Jan. 2025
The nose features ripe black cherries, plums, violets, and hints of tobacco.
—Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 7 Jan. 2025
But, as noted here two months ago , the starting point in 2024 was not as ripe for such a sustained rotation, and beyond that the burst higher in cyclical plays ran right into another rollover in the economic-surprise dynamics.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 6 Jan. 2025
And just like the original recipe, this one helps use up ripe bananas that need to be gone ASAP.
—Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 6 Jan. 2025
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 19 Jan. 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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