ride
verb (used without object)
to sit on and manage a horse or other animal in motion; be carried on the back of an animal.
ride
1 American
[rahyd]
/ raɪd /
verb (used without object)
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rides,
present (3rd person singular)
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rode,
past
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rid,
past (Archaic)
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ridden,
past participle
-
riding
present participle
-
to sit on and manage a horse or other animal in motion; be carried on the back of an animal.
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to be borne along on or in a vehicle or other kind of conveyance.
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to move or float on the water.
the surfboarders riding on the crests of the waves.
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to move along in any way; be carried or supported.
He is riding along on his friend's success. Distress is riding among the people.
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to have a specified character for riding purposes.
The car rides smoothly.
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to be conditioned; depend (usually followed byon ).
All his hopes are riding on getting that promotion.
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Informal. to continue without interruption or interference.
He decided to let the bet ride.
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to be carried on something, as a litter, a person's shoulders, or the like.
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to work or move up from the proper place or position (usually followed byup ).
Her skirt rode up above her knees.
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to extend or project over something, as the edge of one thing over the edge of another thing.
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to turn or rest on something.
the great globe of the world riding on its axis.
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to appear to float in space, as a heavenly body.
A blood-red moon rode in the cloudless sky.
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to lie at anchor, as a ship.
verb (used with object)
-
rides,
present (3rd person singular)
-
rode,
past
-
rid,
past (Archaic)
-
ridden,
past participle
-
riding
present participle
-
to sit on and manage (a horse, bicycle, etc.) so as to be carried along.
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to sit or move along on (something); be carried or borne along on.
The ship rode the waves. We ride a bus.
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to ride over, along, or through (a road, boundary, region, etc.); traverse.
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to ridicule or harass persistently.
The boys keep riding him about his poor grades.
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to control, dominate, or tyrannize over.
a man ridden by fear; a country that is ridden by a power-mad dictator.
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to cause to ride.
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to carry (a person) on something as if on a horse.
He rode the child about on his back.
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to execute by riding.
to ride a race.
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to rest on, especially by overlapping.
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to keep (a vessel) at anchor or moored.
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Jazz. to play improvisations on (a melody).
noun
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rides
plural
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a journey or excursion on a horse, camel, etc., or on or in a vehicle.
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a means of or arrangement for transportation by motor vehicle.
We'll handle rides to be sure everyone gets home quickly.
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the vehicle used for transportation.
I've got to hang up now—my ride's here.
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a vehicle or device, as a Ferris wheel, roller coaster, or merry-go-round, on which people ride for amusement.
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a way, road, etc., made especially for riding.
verb phrase
idioms
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ride herd on. herd.
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ride for a fall, to conduct oneself so as to invite misfortune or injury.
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ride the beam, to fly along the course indicated by a radio beam.
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take for a ride,
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to murder, especially by abducting the victim for that purpose.
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to deceive; trick.
It was obvious to everyone but me that I was being taken for a ride.
-
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ride down,
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to trample or overturn by riding upon or against.
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to ride up to; overtake; capture.
The posse rode down the escaping bank robber.
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Nautical. to bear down upon (a rope of a tackle) with all one's weight.
-
-
ride shotgun. shotgun.
Ride
2
American
[rahyd]
/ raɪd /
noun
ride
British
/ raɪd /
verb
-
to sit on and control the movements of (a horse or other animal)
-
(tr) to sit on and propel (a bicycle or similar vehicle)
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(intr; often foll by on or in) to be carried along or travel on or in a vehicle
she rides to work on the bus
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(tr) to travel over or traverse
they rode the countryside in search of shelter
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(tr) to take part in by riding
to ride a race
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to travel through or be carried across (sea, sky, etc)
the small boat rode the waves
the moon was riding high
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(tr) to cause to be carried
to ride someone out of town
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(intr) to be supported as if floating
the candidate rode to victory on his new policies
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(intr) (of a vessel) to lie at anchor
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(tr) (of a vessel) to be attached to (an anchor)
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(esp of a bone) to overlap or lie over (another structure or part)
-
informal
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(intr) to drive a car
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(tr) to transport (goods, farm produce, etc) by motor vehicle or cart
-
-
(tr) (of a male animal) to copulate with; mount
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slang (tr) to have sexual intercourse with (someone)
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(tr; usually passive) to tyrannize over or dominate
ridden by fear
-
informal (tr) to persecute, esp by constant or petty criticism
don't ride me so hard over my failure
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informal (intr) to continue undisturbed
I wanted to change something, but let it ride
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(tr) to endure successfully; ride out
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(tr) to yield slightly to (a blow or punch) in order to lessen its impact
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(of a bet) to remain placed
let your winnings ride on the same number
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(intr) jazz to play well, esp in freely improvising at perfect tempo
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to domineer over or act with complete disregard for
-
to take part in a fox hunt on horseback
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to act in such a way as to invite disaster
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informal to return to a former activity or scene of activity
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confident, popular, and successful
noun
-
a journey or outing on horseback or in a vehicle
-
a path specially made for riding on horseback
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transport in a vehicle, esp when given freely to a pedestrian; lift
can you give me a ride to the station?
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a device or structure, such as a roller coaster at a fairground, in which people ride for pleasure or entertainment
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slang an act of sexual intercourse
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slang a partner in sexual intercourse
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informal
-
to cheat, swindle, or deceive
-
to take (someone) away in a car and murder him
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ride
More Idioms
Usage
What is a basic definition of ride? Ride is a verb that means to sit on the back of a moving animal or to travel in or on a vehicle, like a car. A ride is a journey made on an animal or using a vehicle. Ride has many other senses as a verb and a noun. When someone rides an animal, they are usually sitting on the animal’s back while it moves. In general, the word ride is used even if the animal is uncooperative or is trying to get rid of the person sitting on them. The person sitting on the animal is called a rider. Its past tenses are rode and ridden.
- Real-life examples: Horses are the most common animal that people ride. Cowboys attempt to ride angry bulls at rodeos. In many Asian countries, people ride camels.
- Used in a sentence: I like to ride horses with my mom.
- Real-life examples: People ride bikes, motorcycles, and skateboards. Airplanes, submarines, boats, cars, trains, buses, and subway cars are vehicles that people ride in.
- Used in a sentence: Grant rides the subway to get to work.
- Real-life examples: Petting zoos often offer pony rides to children. A trip from Tokyo to Berlin would be a long ride, no matter what kind of vehicle you used. People who are afraid of heights probably won’t be fans of airplane rides.
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Used in a sentence: My college years were a wild ride.
Synonym Usage
See drive.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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ridesimple
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ridessimple
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have riddenperfect
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has riddenperfect
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am ridingprogressive
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are ridingprogressive
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is ridingprogressive
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have been ridingperfect progressive
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has been ridingperfect progressive
Past
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ridsimple
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rodesimple
-
had riddenperfect
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was ridingprogressive
-
were ridingprogressive
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had been ridingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of ride
First recorded before 900; 1915–20 ride for def. 17; Middle English riden (verb), Old English rīdan; cognate with Old Frisian rīda, German reiten, Old Norse rītha; akin to Old Irish ríad “journey” ( cf. palfrey, rheda)
Explanation
To ride is to be carried in a car, on a bike, or on an animal. When you ride a horse for the first time, it's often surprising how far off the ground you are. You can ride in the back of a taxi or on a Ferris wheel at the fair. You can also ride — and control — a pony or a bicycle. As a noun, ride means "a trip in a vehicle," or a roller coaster or other amusement park entertainment. In the U.S., ride has also been an informal name for a car since about 1930: "Check out my new ride!"
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Last week my wife and I took what was supposed to be a short ride in a Waymo.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
Smart & Final is a 10-minute bus ride away in Lincoln Heights.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
But because Erle wasn’t getting a free ride and he didn’t want to take on student-loan debt, he had to work.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026
Most evacuees were taken back to Surabaya, a six-hour boat ride from where the ferry ran into trouble.
From Barron's ● Aug. 3, 2026
“The L and C program is on an outlier island about a ten-minute boat ride away,” she said.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
It's placed right next to the iconic blue t-shirt worn by Sally Ride on the 1983 Shuttle mission when she became the first American woman in space.
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026
Beside it is the pale blue flight jacket of Sally Ride, a physicist who in 1983 became the first American woman in space.
From Barron's ● May 29, 2026
The pitch: Ride out nuclear war, the next pandemic or societal collapse in relative comfort.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 26, 2026
The Santa Ana teen was traveling at around 35 mph on a black E Ride Pro electric motorcycle when he struck the median and lost control of the vehicle, according to authorities.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 12, 2026
Vonetta wanted to ride JimmyTrotter’s bike, and he said, “It’s yours while you’re here. Ride it all you want.”
From "Gone Crazy in Alabama" by Rita Williams-Garcia
Clockwise from top left; Parasailing boats take tourists for rides near Avalon.;
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
Gross bookings, which track the value of all rides and deliveries, grew 24% to $58 billion.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026
He had been inspired to take on the challenge after losing a cousin to MND and had raised almost A$300,000 on his previous rides.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
I warn people all the time to walk past the hustlers offering rides on the way to the official taxi line or ride-share pick up at major airports.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
I watch everyone leaving, some walking, some waiting for rides.
From "Muffled" by Jennifer Gennari
I always wondered, if I flat failed the fitness test, would they get rid of me for that reason?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
"We should get rid of supply management for our own good, outside of any negotiations and trade deals," he told the BBC in an interview.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
“Even residents of this neighborhood park here in front because there isn’t enough parking. If they get rid of the parking out front, business will go down so much.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
When will we be rid of this pestilence?
From Slate ● Jul. 17, 2026
I was going to the home of the woman who had once vowed to get rid of me—for four whole days!
From "The World According to Humphrey" by Betty G. Birney
Mehmed rode his horse to the edge of the sea and watched in impotent fury as his navy failed to stop them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
He then rode off to find adults further up the Taff Trail for help, who took them to his friend's house.
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026
Back then, Supreme Court justices “rode circuit”—they literally rode horses or traveled by carriage to hear cases within the circuit they oversaw.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
He drove a big truck, rode a good horse, and removed his hat when he introduced himself.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
Mara and Smithy rode their camels in silent conversation.
From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri
Bloom Energy has indeed ridden on the coattails of AI excitement and investors’ quests for companies positioned to benefit from powering data centers.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
Class 2 bikes can also be ridden by people of any age, but are equipped with a throttle and reach a maximum speed of 20 mph.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
Dettori has not ridden in Britain since October 2023 when he won the Champion Stakes on King of Steel at Ascot.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
Doctorow proposes this is essentially what happens when humans are ridden by tech, as when the poverty-level wages and surveillance capitalism of Uber, Amazon and other is powered by AI algorithms.
From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026
I wondered if the horses I’d ridden into this dawn were still caught in there like bugs, whinnying at the shift.
From "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline
Infineon shares have gained nearly 70% since January, riding a wave of investor fervor that propelled global semiconductor stocks to new highs on expectations that appetite for chips will continue to outpace supply.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
Most likely to protect his $6 million contract that prohibited high-risk activities such as motorcycle riding.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
“This isn’t a biking area,” he insisted, noting that he sees more people riding bikes and scooters on sidewalks than in the lanes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
It blows my hair back, like I'm riding a motorbike at speed.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
He had seen whole logs riding on top of the water in Lake Washington when he visited his cousins in Seattle last year.
From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
