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:
Officials are implementing new repayment plans, getting rid of old ones and reportedly preparing to restart debt collection on defaulted student loans.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2026
But maybe the solution is to get rid of it, full stop?
From Slate ● Oct. 22, 2026
"Late in the evenings he would come to the house and we struggled to get rid of him," she says.
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026
“If you hold an ETF in a taxable account, the amount of tax you’d pay to switch is prohibitive, and your best option to get rid of it is to drop dead.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
She seemed happy to be rid of me, and once the train finally stopped moving, she threw me a quick nod and marched out the depot doors to take care of her detective work.
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
As presiding officer of the Senate, he ridded himself of the officer's throne and took to an ordinary chair.
From Time Magazine Archive
Led on by thee, we pass through heavy trial, Requiring ever constant self-denial, Unscathed, yet ridded of defiling dross, To find ourselves the better for its loss.
From The Emigrant Mechanic and Other Tales in Verse Together with Numerous Songs Upon Canadian Subjects by Thomas Cowherd
Luna has repeatedly told The Times in interviews since he took office in 2022 that he is committed to ridding the department’s ranks of deputy gangs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 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
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
In fall 2024, many of us were ridding our kitchens of a very common utensil, thanks to a piece in the Atlantic that instructed us to, “Throw Out Your Black Plastic Spatula.”
From Slate ● Jan. 14, 2026
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
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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.
