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:
The Winnipeg Jets were riding a losing streak and facing an impossible climb.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
The former Cape Town mayor has been captured swimming in crater-sized potholes, ziplining over sinkholes and riding into her final rally in the city in a classic BMW 325i, known locally as a "Gusheshe".
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
The “Girls Next Door” alum was filming an episode of the reality series—which ran from 2005 to 2010, and had taken the cast to Sunset Ranch to produce a horseback riding scene.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 2, 2026
Ninth graders Marley Handley, left, and Audrey Baca take a selfie while riding the bus to a Patriot High girls’ flag football game.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 1, 2026
Peter went on ahead, our pathfinder as usual, while I led Marlene, with Karli riding up on her, all of us knowing we owed our lives to that extraordinary and wonderful lady.
From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo
Riding to victory with him was Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Jokowi's eldest son, who became Indonesia's vice president.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
Patrick Hewes Stewart was born in Mirfield in the West Riding of Yorkshire on 13 July 1940.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 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 shotgun in Ricky’s Crown Vic, bad radio blaring.
From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
