rid

[ rid ]

/ rɪd /

verb (used with object), rid or rid·ded, rid·ding.

to clear, disencumber, or free of something objectionable (usually followed by of): I want to rid the house of mice. In my opinion, you'd be wise to rid yourself of the smoking habit.

to relieve or disembarrass (usually followed by of): to rid the mind of doubt.

Archaic. to deliver or rescue: to rid them out of bondage; to rid him from his enemies.

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Think you know your presidents? Take this quiz and see if you can match the style, wit, and ideology of these memorable lines to the right POTUS.

Question 1 of 9

“I do believe that the buck stops here, that I cannot rely upon public opinion polls to tell me what is right. I do believe that right makes might and that if I am wrong, 10 angels swearing I was right would make no difference.”

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Idioms for rid

be rid of, to be free of or no longer encumbered by: to be rid of obligations.

get rid of, to eliminate or discard: It's time we got rid of this trash.

Origin of rid

1150–1200; Middle English ridden (v.), Old English (ge)ryddan to clear (land); cognate with Old Norse rythja to clear, empty

OTHER WORDS FROM rid

ridder, noun

Words nearby rid

Ricoeur, ricotta, RICS, rictal bristle, rictus, rid, ridable, Ridaura, riddance, ridden, riddle

Definition for rid (2 of 2)

rid²

[ rid ]

/ rɪd /

verb Archaic.

a simple past tense and past participle of ride.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for rid

Steven Bradford, a Democrat from Gardena, told the Assembly Judiciary Committee Wednesday that there are mechanisms for getting rid of bad politicians, doctors, lawyers — but not the people with legal authority to commit force and take lives.
Sacramento Report: Jones, COVID-19 and the Irony of Remote Voting|Sara Libby and Jesse Marx|August 28, 2020|Voice of San Diego
That made Carson and his colleagues wonder if getting rid of the suppressor cells could create an environment for checkpoint blockers to work better.
These cells slow an immune response. Derailing them could help fight tumors|Esther Landhuis|July 10, 2020|Science News
The policy is called “Ban the Box,” and it got rid of the box that job applicants used to check to indicate that they had been in prison.
How to Prevent Another Great Depression (Ep. 421)|Stephen J. Dubner|June 11, 2020|Freakonomics
So even if you accept that rent control is a big contributor to the affordable-housing problem, getting rid of it isn’t necessarily a solution.
Why Rent Control Doesn’t Work (Ep. 373 Rebroadcast)|Stephen J. Dubner|March 12, 2020|Freakonomics

The nuclear option got rid of the rule requiring a supermajority.
Does the President Matter as Much as You Think? (Ep. 404)|Stephen J. Dubner|February 6, 2020|Freakonomics
“The Americans were a tool, used by the Safis in the Pech to rid them of their competition in the timber trade,” Zalwar Khan said.
Heart of Darkness: Into Afghanistan’s Taliban Valley|Matt Trevithick, Daniel Seckman|November 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They fought him and finally caved and shot it, but then got rid of it in the editing room.
The Unbelievable (True) Story of the World’s Most Infamous Hash Smuggler|Marlow Stern|November 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He then got rid of all the ridiculous sides of it: like the 10-day calendar, the cult of the Supreme Being, and mass guillotines.
Napoleon Was a Dynamite Dictator|J.P. O’Malley|November 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
James and NBPA head Chris Paul have already suggested that it might be time to get rid of salary constraints altogether.
2014 NBA Preview: Skinny LeBron and the Racist Ghost of Donald Sterling|Robert Silverman|October 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They decided to get rid of the compromising objects immediately.
Did Picasso Try to Steal the Mona Lisa?|Nick Mafi|October 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
We have not time or inclination to indulge in fanciful troubles until we have got rid of our real misfortunes.
Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow|Jerome K. Jerome
He seemed quite pleased to get rid of her so easily, and placing all her confidence in Mary, she withdrew.
The Miraculous Medal|Jean Marie Aladel
It was, besides, so easy to get rid of the exiles of Valencay by sending them back to the place from whence they had been brought!
Memoirs of Napoleon Bonaparte, Complete|Louis Antoine Fauvelet de Bourrienne
Marry, I would he would take exception, he should not want ill-usage to rid me of his trouble.
A Select Collection of Old English Plays|Robert Dodsley
Russia was glad to be rid of her possessions in North America.
The Great Company|Beckles Willson

British Dictionary definitions for rid

rid

/ (rɪd) /

verb rids, ridding, rid or ridded (tr)

(foll by of) to relieve or deliver from something disagreeable or undesirable; make free (of)to rid a house of mice

get rid of to relieve or free oneself of (something or someone unpleasant or undesirable)

Derived forms of rid

ridder, noun

Word Origin for rid

C13 (meaning: to clear land): from Old Norse rythja; related to Old High German riutan to clear land

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with rid

rid

see get rid of.

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rid

verb (used with object), rid or rid·ded, rid·ding.