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Synonyms

rid

1 American  
[rid] / rɪd /

verb (used with object)

rid, ridded, ridding

  1. 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.

  2. to relieve or disembarrass (usually followed byof ).

    to rid the mind of doubt.

  3. Archaic. to deliver or rescue.

    to rid them out of bondage; to rid him from his enemies.

idioms

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

    to be rid of obligations.

  2. get rid of, to eliminate or discard.

    It's time we got rid of this trash.
rid 2 American  
[rid] / rɪd /

verb

Archaic.

  1. a simple past tense and past participle of ride.

rid British  
/ rɪd /

verb

  1. (foll by of) to relieve or deliver from something disagreeable or undesirable; make free (of)

    to rid a house of mice

  2. to relieve or free oneself of (something or someone unpleasant or undesirable)

"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
rid More Idioms  

  1. see get rid of.

Other Word Forms

  • ridder noun

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

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.

The plan also suggests getting rid of GPA as an internal metric, instead using percentile rank to calculate honors like cum laude recognition.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

If not for the humans on hand — the ones they eventually want to get rid of — the students would be lost in confusion.

From Salon • Mar. 30, 2026

If losing your home and its contents — lest we forget about them — would cause you financial distress, don’t get rid of your home insurance.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 28, 2026

“First, investors get rid of all the names and they sell everything,” says Shaul Eyal of TD Cowen.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

One stuck on Coal’s window, and he put the glass down to get rid of it.

From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste

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.