riding
noun
the act of a person or thing that rides.
riding
1 American
[rahy-ding]
/ ˈraɪ dɪŋ /
noun
adjective
riding
2
American
[rahy-ding]
/ ˈraɪ dɪŋ /
noun
-
any of the three administrative divisions into which Yorkshire, England, is divided, namely, North Riding, East Riding, and West Riding.
-
any similar administrative division elsewhere.
Riding
3
American
[rahy-ding]
/ ˈraɪ dɪŋ /
noun
riding
1
British
/ ˈraɪdɪŋ /
noun
riding
2
British
/ ˈraɪdɪŋ /
noun
-
(capital when part of a name) any of the three former administrative divisions of Yorkshire: North Riding, East Riding and West Riding
-
(in Canada) a parliamentary constituency
-
(in New Zealand) a rural electorate for local government
Etymology
Origin of riding1
before 1000; Middle English (noun, adj.); Old English rīdende (adj.). See ride, -ing 1, -ing 2
Origin of riding2
1250–1300; Middle English triding, Old English *thriding < Old Norse thridjungr third part; t- (of ME), variant of th- (of OE), lost by assimilation to -t in east, west, which commonly preceded
Explanation
Use the word riding for the sport of maneuvering a horse while sitting on its back. So when your friend invites you to go riding, you'd better be prepared to climb up into a saddle. You can also call this sport horseback riding, or if you want to get really fancy, equestrianism. Riding involves, of course, staying perched on the back of a horse while it trots, canters, or gallops along. There are a lot of additional variations on riding, including horse racing, rodeo events, and dressage, which involves dance-like movements that are judged on how athletic and graceful the horse is and how relaxed the rider appears.
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.
Just look at customer-relationship management giant Salesforce or cybersecurity company Zscaler, both of which delivered underwhelming figures despite making multiple AI-related acquisitions in the hope of riding the trend.
From Barron's • May 28, 2026
“At the cycle path we have the fast-and-furious people that are riding their bikes or electric bikes,” he says, “so we put up a lot of signs to alert people about the presence of capybaras.”
From Slate • May 27, 2026
Sindorf—who had reported three days earlier that a dog charged his wife—said he drew a firearm to protect himself from the animals while riding on his motorcycle.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026
The hope is that it could increase active travel - walking, wheeling, cycling and horse riding - with daily commuting trips between the two towns expected to more than double when Center Parcs opens.
From BBC • May 24, 2026
“If things go right, you could be riding and shooting before you know it.”
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
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.
