riding
noun
the act of a person or thing that rides.
riding
1 American
[rahy-ding]
/ ˈraɪ dɪŋ /
noun
adjective
riding
2
American
[rahy-ding]
/ ˈraɪ dɪŋ /
noun
-
any of the three administrative divisions into which Yorkshire, England, is divided, namely, North Riding, East Riding, and West Riding.
-
any similar administrative division elsewhere.
Riding
3
American
[rahy-ding]
/ ˈraɪ dɪŋ /
noun
riding
1
British
/ ˈraɪdɪŋ /
noun
riding
2
British
/ ˈraɪdɪŋ /
noun
-
(capital when part of a name) any of the three former administrative divisions of Yorkshire: North Riding, East Riding and West Riding
-
(in Canada) a parliamentary constituency
-
(in New Zealand) a rural electorate for local government
Etymology
Origin of riding1
before 1000; Middle English (noun, adj.); Old English rīdende (adj.). See ride, -ing 1, -ing 2
Origin of riding2
1250–1300; Middle English triding, Old English *thriding < Old Norse thridjungr third part; t- (of ME), variant of th- (of OE), lost by assimilation to -t in east, west, which commonly preceded
Explanation
Use the word riding for the sport of maneuvering a horse while sitting on its back. So when your friend invites you to go riding, you'd better be prepared to climb up into a saddle. You can also call this sport horseback riding, or if you want to get really fancy, equestrianism. Riding involves, of course, staying perched on the back of a horse while it trots, canters, or gallops along. There are a lot of additional variations on riding, including horse racing, rodeo events, and dressage, which involves dance-like movements that are judged on how athletic and graceful the horse is and how relaxed the rider appears.
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:
After three unexplicated decades, Varnell — self-described “eight-time Soul Train Award … presenter” — is not riding quite as high as he was on “Martin.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
Designed for two-up, enduro-style riding and bucket-list touring, these bikes have big wheels, huge engines, complex suspensions and radical ground clearance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026
Like Buttigieg, he has made biking a part of his public image, even riding with a group of school kids in Brooklyn earlier this year.
From Salon ● Aug. 27, 2026
Shakur was riding with Death Row Records mogul Marion “Suge” Knight on Sept. 7, 1996, just off the Vegas Strip.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
She wore navy silk riding clothes, and sapphires, and an expression as inscrutable as the sea.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
The Evo update allows riders to change suspension settings on the move, regardless of Riding Mode.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026
Riding with another person on the back is another common issue.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Riding a wave of hype and capital, quantum computing was thrust back into the spotlight last month as the U.S. government made a $2 billion bet on the technology.
From Barron's ● Jun. 9, 2026
Riding the line of being just about to break, it’s so much fun.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 26, 2026
Riding it was like breaking in new shoes—while running for your life.
From "Uglies" by Scott Westerfeld
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.
