adjective
ripe
ryp
adjective
1
Fully grown and ready to eat, as fruit or grain.
"These bananas are perfectly ripe."
"The wheat fields were ripe for harvest."
2
Ready or suitable for something, especially at the right moment.
"The market was ripe for a new competitor."
How to Use Ripe
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishFully developed and ready — used for fruit, and figuratively for a good moment or opportunity.
Common pairings
ripe for the picking
ripe old age
ripe fruit
Word Forms
riper comparative, riped past tense, riped past tense, ripes plural, ripes plural, ripes singular, ripes singular, ripest superlative
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Etymology
From Old English rīpe, "ripe or mature," related to the verb "reap."