ride
to sit on and manage a horse or other animal in motion; be carried on the back of an animal.
to be borne along on or in a vehicle or other kind of conveyance.
to move or float on the water: the surfboarders riding on the crests of the waves.
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.
to have a specified character for riding purposes: The car rides smoothly.
to be conditioned; depend (usually followed by on): All his hopes are riding on getting that promotion.
Informal. to continue without interruption or interference: He decided to let the bet ride.
to be carried on something, as a litter, a person's shoulders, or the like.
to work or move up from the proper place or position (usually followed by up): Her skirt rode up above her knees.
to extend or project over something, as the edge of one thing over the edge of another thing.
to turn or rest on something: the great globe of the world riding on its axis.
to appear to float in space, as a heavenly body: A blood-red moon rode in the cloudless sky.
to lie at anchor, as a ship.
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.
to ride over, along, or through (a road, boundary, region, etc.); traverse.
to ridicule or harass persistently: The boys keep riding him about his poor grades.
to control, dominate, or tyrannize over: a man ridden by fear; a country that is ridden by a power-mad dictator.
to cause to ride.
to carry (a person) on something as if on a horse: He rode the child about on his back.
to execute by riding: to ride a race.
to rest on, especially by overlapping.
to keep (a vessel) at anchor or moored.
Jazz. to play improvisations on (a melody).
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.
the vehicle used for transportation: I've got to hang up now—my ride's here.
a vehicle or device, as a Ferris wheel, roller coaster, or merry-go-round, on which people ride for amusement.
a way, road, etc., made especially for riding.
ride out,
to sustain (a gale, storm, etc.) without damage, as while riding at anchor.
to sustain or endure successfully.
Idioms about ride
ride down,
to trample or overturn by riding upon or against.
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 for a fall, to conduct oneself so as to invite misfortune or injury.
ride herd on. herd1 (def. 6).
ride shotgun. shotgun (def. 11).
ride the beam, Aeronautics. to fly along the course indicated by a radio beam.
take for a ride, Slang.
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.
Origin of ride
1synonym study For ride
Words Nearby ride
Other definitions for Ride (2 of 2)
Sally, 1951–2012, U.S. astronaut and astrophysicist: first U.S. woman to reach outer space 1983.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use ride in a sentence
Germs like the flu virus can also hitch a ride on dust and other airborne particles that we shed.
Dust can infect animals with flu, raising coronavirus concerns | Erin Garcia de Jesus | August 24, 2020 | Science News For StudentsIf you’re a crime junkie, clear your schedule, because this one is going to take you on a ride.
Uber may also try to push more drivers to work for both its rides and food delivery services to reduce costs, Shmulik said.
Along for the ride are the real people whose lives and livelihoods are, to some degree, linked to it.
TikTok made him famous. Now he’s imagining a world without it | Abby Ohlheiser | August 14, 2020 | MIT Technology ReviewMeanwhile, ride demand has been rebounding from the sharp drop-off that accompanied the start of lockdowns across the US.
Lyft still aims to be profitable by the end of next year | Michelle Cheng | August 13, 2020 | Quartz
I told them it was back where I parked my car, so they offered me a ride.
The 7-Year-Old Plane Crash Survivor’s Brutal Journey Through the Woods | James Higdon | January 7, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTI mean, the reality of it was, I had to go out and get on a horse, and ride in, shoot the gun — how hard was that, right?
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile | Robert Ward | January 3, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST“They just walk around, they ride in their patrol cars, and they just pass by,” he said.
In “Sleigh ride,” the narrator is painting a scene so perfect that it could be featured on an iconic Currier and Ives print.
The Most Confusing Christmas Music Lyrics Explained (VIDEO) | Kevin Fallon | December 24, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTMy bike ride that mid-October day starts like so many others.
Possibly, he would not shy at such monstrosities after twenty miles of a lathering ride.
The Red Year | Louis TracyThe other day an excursion was arranged to Sondershausen, a town about three hours' ride from Weimar in the cars.
Music-Study in Germany | Amy FayThe truth is, it is not safe to trot down such mountains and hardly to ride down them at all.
Glances at Europe | Horace GreeleyThe farmer told him it was six miles; "but," he added, "you must ride sharp, or you will get a wet jacket before you reach it."
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun; | VariousCoppy, in a tone of too-hastily-assumed authority, had told her over night that she must not ride out by the river.
Kipling Stories and Poems Every Child Should Know, Book II | Rudyard Kipling
British Dictionary definitions for ride
/ (raɪd) /
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) US and Canadian 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)
Southern African 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
(tr) slang to have sexual intercourse with (someone)
(tr; usually passive) to tyrannize over or dominate: ridden by fear
(tr) informal to persecute, esp by constant or petty criticism: don't ride me so hard over my failure
(intr) informal to continue undisturbed: I wanted to change something, but let it ride
(tr) to endure successfully; ride out
(tr) to yield slightly to (a blow or punch) in order to lessen its impact
(intr often foll by on) (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
ride roughshod over to domineer over or act with complete disregard for
ride to hounds to take part in a fox hunt on horseback
ride for a fall to act in such a way as to invite disaster
ride again informal to return to a former activity or scene of activity
riding high confident, popular, and successful
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
take for a ride informal
to cheat, swindle, or deceive
to take (someone) away in a car and murder him
Origin of ride
1Derived forms of ride
- ridable or rideable, adjective
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
Other Idioms and Phrases with ride
In addition to the idioms beginning with ride
- ride for a fall
- ride hellbent for leather
- ride herd on
- ride high
- ride out
- ride roughshod over
- ride shotgun
- ride up
also see:
- along for the ride
- go along (for the ride)
- gravy train, ride the
- hitch a ride
- let ride
- take someone for a ride
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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