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
The time is ripe for a refreshing bite of summer at the National Cherry Festival in Traverse City.
—
Darcie Moran, Detroit Free Press, 26 June 2024
Forecasters say conditions are ripe for a banner Atlantic hurricane season.
—Evan Bush, NBC News, 25 June 2024
Biden's job approval rating will be ripe for Trump' attacks as well, with about 56% disapproving as of June 20, according to 538's polling average.
—Sarah Beth Hensley, ABC News, 24 June 2024
The works of Shakespeare, featuring the young Montague along with icons like Hamlet and Macbeth, were particularly ripe for interpretation by female actors.
—JSTOR Daily, 20 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for ripe 
Darcie Moran, Detroit Free Press, 26 June 2024
Forecasters say conditions are ripe for a banner Atlantic hurricane season.
—Evan Bush, NBC News, 25 June 2024
Biden's job approval rating will be ripe for Trump' attacks as well, with about 56% disapproving as of June 20, according to 538's polling average.
—Sarah Beth Hensley, ABC News, 24 June 2024
The works of Shakespeare, featuring the young Montague along with icons like Hamlet and Macbeth, were particularly ripe for interpretation by female actors.
—JSTOR Daily, 20 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for ripe
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ripe.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Ripe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ripe. Accessed 7 Jul. 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
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