ripple

¹ American  

[rip-uhl] / ˈrɪp əl /

verb (used without object)

rippled, rippling

1. (of a liquid surface) to form small waves or undulations, as water agitated by a breeze.

   Synonyms:

   purl, undulate, wave

2. to flow with a light rise and fall or ruffling of the surface.

3. (of a solid surface) to form or have small undulations, ruffles, or folds.

4. (of sound) to undulate or rise and fall in tone, inflection, or magnitude.

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verb (used with object)

rippled, rippling

1. to form small waves or undulations on; agitate lightly.

   Synonyms:

   dimple, curl, ruffle

2. to mark as if with ripples; give a wavy form to.

noun

1. a small wave or undulation, as on water.

   Synonyms:

   ruffle, wavelet

2. any similar movement or appearance; a small undulation or wave, as in hair.

3. a small rapid.

4. Geology. ripple mark.

5. a sound, as of water flowing in ripples.

   a ripple of laughter.

ripple ² American  

[rip-uhl] / ˈrɪp əl /

noun

1. a toothed or comblike device for removing seeds or capsules from flax, hemp, etc.

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verb (used with object)

rippled, rippling

1. to remove the seeds or capsules from (flax or hemp) with a ripple.

ripple ¹ British  

/ ˈrɪpəl /

noun

1. a slight wave or undulation on the surface of water

2. a small wave or undulation in fabric, hair, etc

3. a sound reminiscent of water flowing quietly in ripples

   a ripple of laughter

4. electronics an oscillation of small amplitude superimposed on a steady value

5. another word for riffle

6. another word for ripple mark

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verb

1. (intr) to form ripples or flow with a rippling or undulating motion

2. (tr) to stir up (water) so as to form ripples

3. (tr) to make ripple marks

4. (intr) (of sounds) to rise and fall gently

   her laughter rippled through the air

ripple ² British  

/ ˈrɪpəl /

noun

1. a special kind of comb designed to separate the seed from the stalks in flax, hemp, or broomcorn

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verb

1. (tr) to comb with this tool

Usage

What does ripple mean? A ripple is a small wave, ruffle, or wrinkle on the surface of something, such as water, fabric, clouds, or hair. A raindrop causes ripples in a puddle. A soft gust of wind can cause ripples on the surface of a lake, on the surface of a sheet hanging from a clothesline, or through the tall grasses in the meadow. Ripples aren’t typically breaks in the surface where they appear—they are disturbances that change its shape momentarily. The word can also be applied to waves or wrinkles involving intangible or abstract things, such as ripples of cause and effect. Much like the ripples that result from tossing a stone into a pond, one action causes many other things to happen in a kind of chain reaction known as a ripple effect. Ripple can also refer to a cascading sound, like that of rippling water, as in a ripple of laughter. More specifically, ripple can refer to a swirl of a particular ingredient in ice cream, such as caramel or chocolate. There are even some flavors whose name indicates what the ripple consists of, such as butterscotch ripple.  Ripple is also used as a verb meaning to form or cause such waves, ruffles, or wrinkles, as in The wind rippled the surface of the river. It can also mean to gently flow or rise and fall. Things with ripples in them can be described as rippled or ripply. Example: I like to throw rocks into the still pond and see how far the ripples extend out.

Synonym Usage

See wave.

Other Word Forms

• rippler
  noun
• rippleless
  adjective
• rippling
  adjective
• ripply
  adjective
• ripplingly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of ripple¹

First recorded in 1610–20; origin uncertain

Origin of ripple²

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English; cognate with West Frisian ripel, Dutch repel, German Riffel

Explanation

A ripple is a small wave on the surface of something, such as a ripple that forms a ring around the spot where you threw a pebble into the pond. Ripple can also be a verb. For example, you might see raindrops ripple on top of a puddle. Ripple was first used in the 1670s to describe something that causes a ruffled surface, sort of like how water seems to momentarily gain texture as it's stirred. Ripple later came to describe a very small wave, but you've probably heard of the "ripple effect" in which tiny waves spread, setting off more and more waves.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ripple rippled rippling

Utilities and AI-industry participants have said an important question is whether promises from profitable tech giants will ripple through the AI ecosystem to partners operating on the ground.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

Scientists must separate the faint ripple in space-time from the background noise constantly present in the detectors.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 2, 2026

The ripple effect could spread as far as the Western Isles where the defence research firm Qinetic has drone testing facilities on Benbecula and South Uist.

From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026

The increase in oil prices has also affected diesel and fertilizer prices, creating a ripple effect through several sectors, including agriculture.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 28, 2026

Glowing, misshapen swarms ripple below like a wave of bees across the turquoise lake.

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera

Anxiety has rippled through the country’s AI circles following the April debut of Anthropic’s powerful Mythos system.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026

Chants of "Let's go Knicks" rippled through the dense crowd, made up of some who paid hundreds of dollars for line sitters to wait overnight and save them a space to watch the procession.

From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026

Yet all of them convey an understanding, even an appreciation, for their close connection to an artist whose influence rippled across popular music.

From Salon ● Jun. 7, 2026

The Bell Beaker people rapidly expanded and rippled out further in all directions, creating the bronze age of central Europe.

From Science Daily ● May 30, 2026

The ground rippled as the grass became folds of silk—the dress of a massive goddess.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan

The money is still missing, and the fallout is rippling through the tourist enclave of about 4,300 year-rounders, reports Scott Calvert.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

Moving any kickoff time at the World Cup is a huge logistical undertaking, with effects rippling out across the tournament.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026

It's a tradition repeated in stadiums across the world, with crowds of spectators rising up in a rippling roar.

From BBC ● Jun. 7, 2026

On the surface, the Bowdens are a perfect family, but cracks are rippling with increasing intensity just beneath, a fragility that will soon be exploited by Cady.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2026

Hazel, however, returned and sat pensive at the lip of the hole, looking out at the silent, rippling veils of rain that drifted across and across the little valley between the two copses.

From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams