- past tense form of ride.
rid
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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to clear, disencumber, or free of something objectionable (usually followed byof ).
I want to rid the house of mice. In my opinion, you'd be wise to rid yourself of the smoking habit.
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to relieve or disembarrass (usually followed byof ).
to rid the mind of doubt.
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Archaic. to deliver or rescue.
to rid them out of bondage; to rid him from his enemies.
idioms
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be rid of, to be free of or no longer encumbered by.
to be rid of obligations.
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get rid of, to eliminate or discard.
It's time we got rid of this trash.
verb
verb
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(foll by of) to relieve or deliver from something disagreeable or undesirable; make free (of)
to rid a house of mice
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to relieve or free oneself of (something or someone unpleasant or undesirable)
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of rid
1150–1200; Middle English ridden (v.), Old English ( ge ) ryddan to clear (land); cognate with Old Norse rythja to clear, empty
Explanation
When you clear out or eliminate something you don't want, you rid yourself of it. If even one child is allergic to peanuts, a school will often rid the cafeteria of all food made with peanuts. For years, activists have worked to rid the world of nuclear weapons, while a dieter's priority might be to rid himself of ten extra pounds. Freeing someone from something unwanted is to rid them of it, whether it's ants in their kitchen or stress about their job. In the thirteenth century, rid meant "clear a space, set free, or save," from a Scandinavian root that's related to the Old Norse ryðja, "to clear land of obstructions."
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:
Warsh, in prepared remarks released Tuesday, is set to vow that the central bank will rid the United States of the years-long "inflation surge."
From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026
Experts say to get rid of the outer layers on a head of lettuce, and then wash the inner layers in cold running water.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
In those days, there was a local committee seeking to get rid of kudzu, an invasive plant that blankets much of the rural South.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
Thankfully, Jenée Desmond-Harris has discovered a satisfying way to get rid of stickers and their gross residue once and for all.
From Slate ● Jul. 13, 2026
Then she sailed back to her low table and quickly got rid of the fortune seeker who was there.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
You will appreciate the richer flavor and be happy to have finally ridded yourself of those unattractive scrambled-egg bits of white that invariably dot your final product when whole eggs are used in your recipe.
From Salon ● Apr. 25, 2024
"My wife and I both had a really ridded our house as much as possible of single-use plastic," he says.
From Fox News ● Dec. 20, 2021
That may irk some users who thought they’d ridded themselves of the algorithm for good.
From Slate ● Dec. 18, 2018
In my youth it was the best part of the year down south because the great breaks could be ridded early and late in the day with few others around.
From Time Magazine Archive
I would ask you if the body is ridded of its worms before it is carried away by angels.
From The Brook Kerith A Syrian story by Moore, George (George Augustus)
So, what if ridding your home of plastic helped you finally get your partner pregnant?
From Slate ● Apr. 16, 2026
It was Mr. Landsbergis, who as parliament chairman in March 1990, led Lithuania to declare it was ridding itself of the U.S.S.R.—the first of the 15 Soviet republics to do so.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 24, 2026
"So, we are now colonizing that central space, and the bacterium is essentially ridding the body of the tumor."
From Science Daily ● Feb. 24, 2026
Some adherents advise parents that the disturbing effects indicate that the treatment is working, ridding the body of impurities, or that the parents should alter the dosage.
From Salon ● Dec. 15, 2025
Veins stand out in Zak’s neck, and he shakes his head like a wet dog ridding itself of water.
From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir
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.
