ride
verb (used without object)
to sit on and manage a horse or other animal in motion; be carried on the back of an animal.
ride
1 American
[rahyd]
/ raɪd /
verb (used without object)
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rides,
present (3rd person singular)
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rode,
past
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rid,
past (Archaic)
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ridden,
past participle
-
riding
present participle
-
to sit on and manage a horse or other animal in motion; be carried on the back of an animal.
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to be borne along on or in a vehicle or other kind of conveyance.
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to move or float on the water.
the surfboarders riding on the crests of the waves.
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to move along in any way; be carried or supported.
He is riding along on his friend's success. Distress is riding among the people.
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to have a specified character for riding purposes.
The car rides smoothly.
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to be conditioned; depend (usually followed byon ).
All his hopes are riding on getting that promotion.
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Informal. to continue without interruption or interference.
He decided to let the bet ride.
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to be carried on something, as a litter, a person's shoulders, or the like.
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to work or move up from the proper place or position (usually followed byup ).
Her skirt rode up above her knees.
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to extend or project over something, as the edge of one thing over the edge of another thing.
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to turn or rest on something.
the great globe of the world riding on its axis.
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to appear to float in space, as a heavenly body.
A blood-red moon rode in the cloudless sky.
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to lie at anchor, as a ship.
verb (used with object)
-
rides,
present (3rd person singular)
-
rode,
past
-
rid,
past (Archaic)
-
ridden,
past participle
-
riding
present participle
-
to sit on and manage (a horse, bicycle, etc.) so as to be carried along.
-
to sit or move along on (something); be carried or borne along on.
The ship rode the waves. We ride a bus.
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to ride over, along, or through (a road, boundary, region, etc.); traverse.
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to ridicule or harass persistently.
The boys keep riding him about his poor grades.
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to control, dominate, or tyrannize over.
a man ridden by fear; a country that is ridden by a power-mad dictator.
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to cause to ride.
-
to carry (a person) on something as if on a horse.
He rode the child about on his back.
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to execute by riding.
to ride a race.
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to rest on, especially by overlapping.
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to keep (a vessel) at anchor or moored.
-
Jazz. to play improvisations on (a melody).
noun
-
rides
plural
-
a journey or excursion on a horse, camel, etc., or on or in a vehicle.
-
a means of or arrangement for transportation by motor vehicle.
We'll handle rides to be sure everyone gets home quickly.
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the vehicle used for transportation.
I've got to hang up now—my ride's here.
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a vehicle or device, as a Ferris wheel, roller coaster, or merry-go-round, on which people ride for amusement.
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a way, road, etc., made especially for riding.
verb phrase
idioms
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ride herd on. herd.
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ride for a fall, to conduct oneself so as to invite misfortune or injury.
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ride the beam, to fly along the course indicated by a radio beam.
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take for a ride,
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to murder, especially by abducting the victim for that purpose.
-
to deceive; trick.
It was obvious to everyone but me that I was being taken for a ride.
-
-
ride down,
-
to trample or overturn by riding upon or against.
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to ride up to; overtake; capture.
The posse rode down the escaping bank robber.
-
Nautical. to bear down upon (a rope of a tackle) with all one's weight.
-
-
ride shotgun. shotgun.
Ride
2
American
[rahyd]
/ raɪd /
noun
ride
British
/ raɪd /
verb
-
to sit on and control the movements of (a horse or other animal)
-
(tr) to sit on and propel (a bicycle or similar vehicle)
-
(intr; often foll by on or in) to be carried along or travel on or in a vehicle
she rides to work on the bus
-
(tr) to travel over or traverse
they rode the countryside in search of shelter
-
(tr) to take part in by riding
to ride a race
-
to travel through or be carried across (sea, sky, etc)
the small boat rode the waves
the moon was riding high
-
(tr) to cause to be carried
to ride someone out of town
-
(intr) to be supported as if floating
the candidate rode to victory on his new policies
-
(intr) (of a vessel) to lie at anchor
-
(tr) (of a vessel) to be attached to (an anchor)
-
(esp of a bone) to overlap or lie over (another structure or part)
-
informal
-
(intr) to drive a car
-
(tr) to transport (goods, farm produce, etc) by motor vehicle or cart
-
-
(tr) (of a male animal) to copulate with; mount
-
slang (tr) to have sexual intercourse with (someone)
-
(tr; usually passive) to tyrannize over or dominate
ridden by fear
-
informal (tr) to persecute, esp by constant or petty criticism
don't ride me so hard over my failure
-
informal (intr) to continue undisturbed
I wanted to change something, but let it ride
-
(tr) to endure successfully; ride out
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(tr) to yield slightly to (a blow or punch) in order to lessen its impact
-
(of a bet) to remain placed
let your winnings ride on the same number
-
(intr) jazz to play well, esp in freely improvising at perfect tempo
-
to domineer over or act with complete disregard for
-
to take part in a fox hunt on horseback
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to act in such a way as to invite disaster
-
informal to return to a former activity or scene of activity
-
confident, popular, and successful
noun
-
a journey or outing on horseback or in a vehicle
-
a path specially made for riding on horseback
-
transport in a vehicle, esp when given freely to a pedestrian; lift
can you give me a ride to the station?
-
a device or structure, such as a roller coaster at a fairground, in which people ride for pleasure or entertainment
-
slang an act of sexual intercourse
-
slang a partner in sexual intercourse
-
informal
-
to cheat, swindle, or deceive
-
to take (someone) away in a car and murder him
-
ride
More Idioms
Usage
What is a basic definition of ride? Ride is a verb that means to sit on the back of a moving animal or to travel in or on a vehicle, like a car. A ride is a journey made on an animal or using a vehicle. Ride has many other senses as a verb and a noun. When someone rides an animal, they are usually sitting on the animal’s back while it moves. In general, the word ride is used even if the animal is uncooperative or is trying to get rid of the person sitting on them. The person sitting on the animal is called a rider. Its past tenses are rode and ridden.
- Real-life examples: Horses are the most common animal that people ride. Cowboys attempt to ride angry bulls at rodeos. In many Asian countries, people ride camels.
- Used in a sentence: I like to ride horses with my mom.
- Real-life examples: People ride bikes, motorcycles, and skateboards. Airplanes, submarines, boats, cars, trains, buses, and subway cars are vehicles that people ride in.
- Used in a sentence: Grant rides the subway to get to work.
- Real-life examples: Petting zoos often offer pony rides to children. A trip from Tokyo to Berlin would be a long ride, no matter what kind of vehicle you used. People who are afraid of heights probably won’t be fans of airplane rides.
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Used in a sentence: My college years were a wild ride.
Synonym Usage
See drive.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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ridesimple
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ridessimple
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have riddenperfect
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has riddenperfect
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am ridingprogressive
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are ridingprogressive
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is ridingprogressive
-
have been ridingperfect progressive
-
has been ridingperfect progressive
Past
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ridsimple
-
rodesimple
-
had riddenperfect
-
was ridingprogressive
-
were ridingprogressive
-
had been ridingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of ride
First recorded before 900; 1915–20 ride for def. 17; Middle English riden (verb), Old English rīdan; cognate with Old Frisian rīda, German reiten, Old Norse rītha; akin to Old Irish ríad “journey” ( cf. palfrey, rheda)
Explanation
To ride is to be carried in a car, on a bike, or on an animal. When you ride a horse for the first time, it's often surprising how far off the ground you are. You can ride in the back of a taxi or on a Ferris wheel at the fair. You can also ride — and control — a pony or a bicycle. As a noun, ride means "a trip in a vehicle," or a roller coaster or other amusement park entertainment. In the U.S., ride has also been an informal name for a car since about 1930: "Check out my new ride!"
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:
When you pick a destination in the Google Maps app running on the car’s infotainment system, it factors in your charging stops—scouting the fewest and fastest options for an optimal ride.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
A police officer had allegedly previously warned Rezmives and his son that it was illegal to ride an e-motorcycle on city streets.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
“It’s a Tilt-A-Whirl, you’re getting whipped around,” Farley said during an interview with MarketWatch, referencing a popular carnival ride.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2026
AI-linked companies continued the rollercoaster ride they have endured since hitting record highs in June amid worries over colossal investment sums and their timeline for profitability, with rising debt-servicing costs adding to the uncertainty.
From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026
I run fifty paces and ride fifty and run fifty and ride fifty the whole night and the running brings my body heat back up.
From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen
Insider tip: Ride the Roundhouse Express gondola from the River Run base to the historic Roundhouse restaurant for a fondue lunch with panoramic views of five mountain ranges.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
Ride a thrilling, creature-heavy makeover of Guardians of the Galaxy — Mission: Breakout! in Disney California Adventure.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
While the torque-vectoring/locking rear differential and Active Ride system come standard with the Turbo, both are available as options on the S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026
The Ride for Rori saw them cycling non-stop from the Arc de Triomphe in Paris to Marble Arch in London.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
Ride my bike away from the house, away from everything.
From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz
“Audiences have been willing to go along for some very unconventional rides when they go to the movie theater,” Dergarabedian said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026
Tesla currently offers limited autonomous ride-hailing trips using Model Y SUVs in six U.S. cities, including Austin, as well as rides supervised by safety drivers in San Francisco.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 20, 2026
I’m as nostalgic as the next Gen X radio obsessive who remembers long rides in my 1980s Mazda, searching the AM spectrum for engaging chatter.
From Slate ● Oct. 20, 2026
The vibrant stage is usually accompanied by a carnival-like atmosphere with food stalls, rides and smaller performances.
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
“The Six Flags we have in Georgia opened in sixty-seven, and one of their premier rides was the Dahlonega Mine Train. Runaway’s the Texas version.”
From "Clean Getaway" by Nic Stone
He also conducts what he calls a “self-audit” to rid himself of acronyms such as RMD, which stands for required minimum distribution, and QCD for qualified charitable distribution.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 23, 2026
But maybe the solution is to get rid of it, full stop?
From Slate ● Oct. 22, 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
"Why would we get rid of our leader when no one else is pitching to be our leader? We need to let Ed get on with it," said another MP.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
Before Clare could rustle up a response, Gingersnipes continued, “And if you wanted to get rid of me so badly all along, you should never have pretended to like me. That was really mean, Clare.”
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
Meanwhile the share who rode as passengers increased to 54% from 45%.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2026
A warning system would have offered little help for ships in the immediate vicinity, but it could have provided perhaps 10 minutes of warning for those who rode out the harrowing tsunami farther away.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 19, 2026
Residents walked and rode bicycles along the boardwalk as dozers and excavators moved along the beach, reinforcing the several-foot-high berms built to protect homes from the ocean waves.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2026
China indirectly rode to the rescue of the global oil market when the Strait of Hormuz closed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
His moustache rode up and down like a wooly worm as he twiddled his lips, studying me.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
More than 16 million people have ridden X2, Magic Mountain said in its statement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
When stocks linked to the booming artificial-intelligence trade have struggled, so-called “non-AI” stocks have ridden to the rescue, and vice versa.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
"We are aware of concerns around the use of e-scooters and off-road bikes being ridden antisocially in the city centre," a spokesperson said.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
In line with the sometimes defiant sense of local "Ossie pride", Siegmund has often ridden the iconic local Simson bike, including to the polling booth Sunday in his hometown of Tangermuende.
From Barron's ● Sep. 6, 2026
He must have taken a taxi from Jerusalem, dropped it off, and ridden the same taxi back.
From "Habibi" by Naomi Shihab Nye
Included in new charges announced Wednesday was Dan Rezmives, whose 12-year-old son was seen riding a Surron Light Bee e-motorcycle on a public street, prosecutors said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
Apparently healthy seniors were found riding stationary bikes and eating takeout.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
For decades, it had been an accepted wisdom in sports like endurance running, cycling, climbing, horse riding, dancing and aesthetic sports like diving and gymnastics.
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026
So she and her family decamped to a ranch in Montana, where they lived in a log cabin and rode horses while riding out the global pandemic.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 19, 2026
Then he saw three farm girls riding toward him.
From "Adventures of Don Quixote" by Argentina Palacios
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