rope
Americannoun
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a strong, thick line or cord, commonly one composed of twisted or braided strands of hemp, flax, or the like, or of wire or other material.
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a lasso.
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ropes,
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the cords used to enclose a prize ring or other space.
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Informal. the operations of a business or the details of any undertaking.
The new employee didn't take long to learn the ropes.
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a hangman's noose, halter, or cord.
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the sentence or punishment of death by hanging.
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a quantity of material or a number of things twisted or strung together in the form of a cord.
a rope of tobacco.
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a stringy, viscid, or glutinous formation in a liquid.
ropes of slime.
verb (used with object)
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to tie, bind, or fasten with a rope.
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to enclose, partition, or mark off with a rope or ropes (often followed byoff ).
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to catch with a lasso; lasso.
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Nautical. to reinforce (a sail or awning) with a boltrope.
verb (used without object)
verb phrase
idioms
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give someone enough rope, to allow a person complete freedom to continue their misdeeds in hope that retribution will follow.
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at the end of one's rope, at the end of one's endurance or means; at the limit.
With all her savings gone and bills piling up, she was at the end of her rope.
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on the ropes,
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Boxing. in a defenseless position, as leaning against the ropes to keep from falling.
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Informal. in a desperate or hopeless position; close to defeat or failure.
By repeatedly undercutting his prices, his competitors soon had him on the ropes.
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noun
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a fairly thick cord made of twisted and intertwined hemp or other fibres or of wire or other strong material
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( as modifier )
a rope bridge
a rope ladder
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a row of objects fastened or united to form a line
a rope of pearls
a rope of onions
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a quantity of material twisted or wound in the form of a cord
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anything in the form of a filament or strand, esp something viscous or glutinous
a rope of slime
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a rope, noose, or halter used for hanging
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death by hanging, strangling, etc
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to allow someone to accomplish his own downfall by his own foolish acts
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to have a thorough understanding of a particular sphere of activity
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to be experienced in the ways of the world
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boxing driven against the ropes enclosing the ring by an opponent's attack
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in a defenceless or hopeless position
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verb
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(tr) to bind or fasten with or as if with a rope
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to enclose or divide by means of a rope
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(intr) to become extended in a long filament or thread
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mountaineering to tie (climbers) together with a rope
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has ropedperfect 3rd person singular
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have ropedperfect
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am ropingprogressive 1st person singular
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have been ropingperfect progressive
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ropingparticiple
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has been ropingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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is ropingprogressive 3rd person singular
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ropessingular 3rd person
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are ropingprogressive
Past
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had ropedperfect
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had been ropingperfect progressive
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were ropingprogressive plural
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ropedparticiple
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was ropingprogressive singular
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ropedsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of rope
First recorded before 900; Middle English noun rop(e), rap(e), Old English rāp; cognate with Dutch reep, German Reif; verb derivative of the noun
Explanation
A rope is made by twisting strands of fiber together into a single, sturdy length. Use a rope to make a swing, tie a hog, or keep people out of your tree house. Ropes are handy on sailboats for tying up sails; you also use ropes for mountain climbing, lassoing a steer, raising a curtain on a theater stage, and doing aerial tricks in the circus. As a verb, rope means "catch with a rope," or colloquially, to convince someone to do something: "She'll try to rope me into helping with the bake sale." When you show someone "the ropes," you explain the way things are done.
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.
We just held Musk’s feet to the fire — or, to put it another way, we gave him all the rope he needed.
From MarketWatch • May 28, 2026
They tried, implying guilt-through-association, to rope Becerra into the scandal involving his former aides who embezzled from a dormant campaign account.
From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026
While jumping rope in my garage, a multidecade effort to lose my freshman 15, I blasted “Eye of the Tiger,” rock band Survivor’s unforgettable theme song from the 1982 film “Rocky III.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026
The inquest at South London Coroner's Court heard earlier a "pathway for avoiding Brooke's death" could have been putting up signs warning against rope swings.
From BBC • May 6, 2026
We decided to tie both ends of the bell rope to the back of his mail wagon.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
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.
