ripen
Americanverb (used with or without object)
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to make or become ripe.
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to bring or come to maturity, the proper condition, etc.; mature.
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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unripeningadjective
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overripenverb
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unripenedadjective
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ripenernoun
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half-ripenedadjective
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underripenedadjective
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well-ripenedadjective
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have ripenedperfect
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has ripenedperfect 3rd person singular
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has been ripeningperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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have been ripeningperfect progressive
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am ripeningprogressive 1st person singular
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ripeningparticiple
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are ripeningprogressive
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is ripeningprogressive 3rd person singular
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ripenssingular 3rd person
Past
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had ripenedperfect
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were ripeningprogressive plural
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had been ripeningperfect progressive
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ripenedsimple
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ripenedparticiple
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was ripeningprogressive singular
Future
Etymology
Origin of ripen
Explanation
When fruit becomes ripe and ready to eat, it ripens. Tomatoes will ripen after you pick them, becoming darker red and more juicy. You can use ripen to talk about the maturing process of all fruits, and some vegetables — apples, peppers, and corn all need to ripen before they're at the perfect, delicious state for being eaten. Figuratively, you can also talk about people this way: "She is really starting to ripen as an actor!" Before ripen was coined around 1560, the verb was ripe, as in, "When the avocados ripe, I'll make guacamole."
Vocabulary lists containing ripen
Vocabulary from Readings 4, Unit 1
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"In Response to Executive Order 9066"
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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.
Under the law, claims can go to federal court if a government agency denies them or doesn’t make a decision within six months, meaning the ones McCloskey dropped off could soon ripen for litigation.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026
But once harvested, mangoes continue to ripen quickly, making them highly vulnerable to softening, moisture loss, and spoilage during storage and transport.
From Science Daily • May 23, 2026
Trees heavy with fruits that ripen through the color spectrum as winter progresses are as much a Southern California holiday tradition as tamales and the Rose Parade.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 18, 2024
It makes our bananas ripen very fast and go to waste,” Ms Nkhana says.
From BBC • Sep. 12, 2024
She wept for the love that had just blossomed and would never ripen.
From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon
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.
