rid
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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to clear, disencumber, or free of something objectionable (usually followed byof ).
I want to rid the house of mice. In my opinion, you'd be wise to rid yourself of the smoking habit.
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to relieve or disembarrass (usually followed byof ).
to rid the mind of doubt.
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Archaic. to deliver or rescue.
to rid them out of bondage; to rid him from his enemies.
idioms
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be rid of, to be free of or no longer encumbered by.
to be rid of obligations.
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get rid of, to eliminate or discard.
It's time we got rid of this trash.
verb
verb
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(foll by of) to relieve or deliver from something disagreeable or undesirable; make free (of)
to rid a house of mice
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to relieve or free oneself of (something or someone unpleasant or undesirable)
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of rid
1150–1200; Middle English ridden (v.), Old English ( ge ) ryddan to clear (land); cognate with Old Norse rythja to clear, empty
Explanation
When you clear out or eliminate something you don't want, you rid yourself of it. If even one child is allergic to peanuts, a school will often rid the cafeteria of all food made with peanuts. For years, activists have worked to rid the world of nuclear weapons, while a dieter's priority might be to rid himself of ten extra pounds. Freeing someone from something unwanted is to rid them of it, whether it's ants in their kitchen or stress about their job. In the thirteenth century, rid meant "clear a space, set free, or save," from a Scandinavian root that's related to the Old Norse ryðja, "to clear land of obstructions."
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:
But recessions rid economies of the inefficiencies and excesses that stop them from achieving robust growth postrecovery.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
They fit, they’re great and I reject all invitations to get rid of them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
“It is a pretty stiff penalty. You’ve got a problem, just pay it off and get rid of it,” Durbin said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026
Anecdotal evidence gathered by clinicians and fire departments has shown promising signs that it could be used to rid firefighters of some of the cancer-causing chemicals they absorb during fires.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
“You’d have to work really hard to get rid of me,” Traveler said.
From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows
You will appreciate the richer flavor and be happy to have finally ridded yourself of those unattractive scrambled-egg bits of white that invariably dot your final product when whole eggs are used in your recipe.
From Salon ● Apr. 25, 2024
"My wife and I both had a really ridded our house as much as possible of single-use plastic," he says.
From Fox News ● Dec. 20, 2021
That may irk some users who thought they’d ridded themselves of the algorithm for good.
From Slate ● Dec. 18, 2018
Bankruptcy ridded Paramount of at least 265 theaters, slashed the value of its properties to $86,000,000, but failed to make it profitable.
From Time Magazine Archive
Demetrios by Perion's order was furnished with a sword of ordinary attributes, and Perion ridded himself of all defensive armour.
From Domnei A Comedy of Woman-Worship by James Branch Cabell
Yaroslavsky credits Mayor Karen Bass’ Inside Safe program for ridding her district of big homeless encampments, but said more data is needed to ensure the programs are cost-effective.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026
"So, we are now colonizing that central space, and the bacterium is essentially ridding the body of the tumor."
From Science Daily ● Feb. 24, 2026
In fall 2024, many of us were ridding our kitchens of a very common utensil, thanks to a piece in the Atlantic that instructed us to, “Throw Out Your Black Plastic Spatula.”
From Slate ● Jan. 14, 2026
We ought to be careful about ridding ourselves of all boredom, lest we lose our creativity in the process.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 8, 2026
But he flung his finger toward me instead, and shook it as if he were ridding himself of blood or slime.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
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.
