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)
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rides,
present (3rd person singular)
-
rode,
past
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rid,
past (Archaic)
-
ridden,
past participle
-
riding
present participle
-
to sit on and manage (a horse, bicycle, etc.) so as to be carried along.
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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.
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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.
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Jazz. to play improvisations on (a melody).
noun
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rides
plural
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a journey or excursion on a horse, camel, etc., or on or in a vehicle.
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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.
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to deceive; trick.
It was obvious to everyone but me that I was being taken for a ride.
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ride down,
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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.
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Nautical. to bear down upon (a rope of a tackle) with all one's weight.
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-
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)
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(tr) to sit on and propel (a bicycle or similar vehicle)
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(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
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(tr) to travel over or traverse
they rode the countryside in search of shelter
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(tr) to take part in by riding
to ride a race
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to travel through or be carried across (sea, sky, etc)
the small boat rode the waves
the moon was riding high
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(tr) to cause to be carried
to ride someone out of town
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(intr) to be supported as if floating
the candidate rode to victory on his new policies
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(intr) (of a vessel) to lie at anchor
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(tr) (of a vessel) to be attached to (an anchor)
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(esp of a bone) to overlap or lie over (another structure or part)
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informal
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(intr) to drive a car
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(tr) to transport (goods, farm produce, etc) by motor vehicle or cart
-
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(tr) (of a male animal) to copulate with; mount
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slang (tr) to have sexual intercourse with (someone)
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(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
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informal (intr) to continue undisturbed
I wanted to change something, but let it ride
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(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
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(of a bet) to remain placed
let your winnings ride on the same number
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(intr) jazz to play well, esp in freely improvising at perfect tempo
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to domineer over or act with complete disregard for
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to take part in a fox hunt on horseback
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to act in such a way as to invite disaster
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informal to return to a former activity or scene of activity
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confident, popular, and successful
noun
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a journey or outing on horseback or in a vehicle
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a path specially made for riding on horseback
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transport in a vehicle, esp when given freely to a pedestrian; lift
can you give me a ride to the station?
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a device or structure, such as a roller coaster at a fairground, in which people ride for pleasure or entertainment
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slang an act of sexual intercourse
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slang a partner in sexual intercourse
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informal
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to cheat, swindle, or deceive
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to take (someone) away in a car and murder him
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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
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have been ridingperfect progressive
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has been ridingperfect progressive
Past
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ridsimple
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rodesimple
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had riddenperfect
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was ridingprogressive
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were ridingprogressive
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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:
An undergrad became a magazine staff writer and received a free ride to Columbia’s MFA program.
From Salon ● Aug. 24, 2026
The dogs’ sleeping quarters are modeled after the park’s Pirates of the Caribbean ride, with its fort-like corridors made of sun-dried brick, the walls strewn with overgrown jungle vines.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
Health and beauty brands in particular are trying to ride the wave without getting caught in a toxic undertow.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
Taylor has still not been able to get his bike fixed and ride it again.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
Afterward, Dad told me to get the ladder, and we’d ride down to school to run the rope back up the bell tower.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
"A special Fleadh timetable is in place with significantly enhanced capacity and additional services across the network with additional late-night services through to Sunday - and Belfast City Council's Park & Ride options."
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026
Beside it is the pale blue flight jacket of Sally Ride, a physicist who in 1983 became the first American woman in space.
From Barron's ● May 29, 2026
The pitch: Ride out nuclear war, the next pandemic or societal collapse in relative comfort.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 26, 2026
The boy was traveling at around 35 mph on a black E Ride Pro electric motorcycle when he struck the median and lost control of the vehicle, according to authorities.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 9, 2026
"Ride with me against my enemies, and you shall have all my son promised you, and more," Lord Tywin told them.
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
Zoox rides cost roughly the same as the comfort option of other ride-share services, a spokeswoman said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
“They’re two different horses,” said Alvarado, who rides both.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026
Tesla has started volume production of the Cybercab, which lacks a steering wheel and pedals but the company hasn’t gotten the same regulatory approval as Zoox to begin offering rides to the public.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
Plouffe, 27, who rides for British continental team O'Shea Red Chilli Bikes, said the incident happened on a roundabout as she was chasing back to the peloton, following a puncture on Wednesday.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
He marries Gudrun; then, assuming through Griemhild’s magical power the appearance of Gunnar, he rides through the flames again to win Brynhild for Gunnar, who is not hero enough to do this himself.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
Police quickly arrived to get rid of the flowers, prompting mourners to create a virtual equivalent of the tree online - where hundreds of thousands of people have since sent tributes and paid respects.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
Getting rid of stuff is something we do nearly every week, through donating, trashing and shredding.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 23, 2026
Delta has gotten rid of Michel et Augustin shortbread square cookies, the highlight of the Comfort+ snack basket for me.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
He said the company was spending $1 million a day to get rid of the food, haul it to landfills and tamp down odors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
While Penelope fretted, the Acorn’s captain set course for the not-so.distant shore, where he planned to sell off some fish and buy provisions, as well as get rid of his accidental passenger.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
Lora and Dillon Harp, who live in Trenton, Mo., rode in Zoox twice in Las Vegas in May.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
She is frequently by Trump’s side, often smiling and staring fixedly at him, and once reportedly rode in an SUV trunk to accompany him to a court date because there wasn’t a seat for her.
From Slate ● Aug. 21, 2026
The first witness, Garry Dale, a Las Vegas Metro police officer, testified that he saw Shakur pulled out of the car with gunshot wounds and rode in the ambulance with him.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
Mehmed rode his horse to the edge of the sea and watched in impotent fury as his navy failed to stop them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
On one spin, John Harvey jumped on and rode standing up, not holding on to anything.
From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn
Everyone else piled into their cars, thinking Courtney had ridden with someone else, but she had gone to her room to find something.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
Bloom Energy has indeed ridden on the coattails of AI excitement and investors’ quests for companies positioned to benefit from powering data centers.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
Class 2 bikes can also be ridden by people of any age, but are equipped with a throttle and reach a maximum speed of 20 mph.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
"I've ridden the highs and lows of tech stocks but the sector is quite hard to read," says Deb, who has invested since his late teens.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
In a happier version of the story, I would have ridden it home this morning after leaving Mirjam there, safe and sound.
From "Girl in the Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse
"Spider-Man: Brand New Day" is still riding high in the North American box office, topping ticket sales for the fourth consecutive weekend in cinemas, but sharply down from last week's performance.
From Barron's ● Aug. 23, 2026
"They're riding the AI boom... They're not driving the wave, they're riding the wave," he said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 23, 2026
Out on a wooden platform extending over San Diego’s Mission Bay, young women sway from side to side, riding an imaginary wave to the beats.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
PC Stephen Grout says the bike had been seen performing wheelies and riding on the pavement in Dorking High Street.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
Her riding clothes were blue, shot through with ruby-colored silk, and she wore rubies on bracelets all the way up her arms and in studs in her ears.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
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.
