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Idioms about ride

Origin of ride

before 900; 1915–20 for def. 17; Middle English riden (v.), Old English rīdan; cognate with Old Frisian rīda,German reiten,Old Norse rītha; akin to Old Irish ríad journey (cf. palfrey, rheda). See road

synonym study for ride

2. See drive.

Other definitions for ride (2 of 2)

Ride
[ rahyd ]
/ raɪd /

noun
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

MORE ABOUT RIDE

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.

In a similar sense, ride is used to mean to travel using a vehicle. This can include a vehicle you stand or sit on, like a bicycle.

  • 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.

A ride is also the journey or trip you take on an animal or using a vehicle. This sense of ride is also used figuratively to mean any journey or experience that a person has embarked on.

  • 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.
  • Used in a sentence: My college years were a wild ride.

Where does ride come from?

The first records of ride come from before the 900s. It comes from the Old English verb rīdan. It is related to similar words with the same meaning, such as the Old Frisian rīda, the German reiten, and the Old Norse rītha.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to ride?

  • rider (noun)
  • ridable; rideable (adjective)

What are some synonyms for ride?

What are some words that share a root or word element with ride

What are some words that often get used in discussing ride?

How is ride used in real life?

Ride is a very common word that most often means to travel on the back of an animal or to travel on or in a vehicle.

Try using ride!

Which of the following is a person most likely to ride?

A. bench
B. horse
C. road
D. shower

How to use ride in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ride

ride
/ (raɪd) /

verb rides, riding, rode or ridden
noun

Derived forms of ride

ridable or rideable, adjective

Word Origin for ride

Old English rīdan; related to Old High German rītan, Old Norse rītha
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

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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