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:
"The truth is, I didn't know for sure, but what you're trying to do isn't find a traitor, it's trying to get rid of everyone who isn't the most faithful," he explained.
From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2026
Officials are implementing new repayment plans, getting rid of old ones and reportedly preparing to restart debt collection on defaulted student loans.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2026
But maybe the solution is to get rid of it, full stop?
From Slate ● Oct. 22, 2026
“If you hold an ETF in a taxable account, the amount of tax you’d pay to switch is prohibitive, and your best option to get rid of it is to drop dead.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
“Just that what I’ve heard, asking around, is that you should get rid of that ring at once,” he said.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
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
In my youth it was the best part of the year down south because the great breaks could be ridded early and late in the day with few others around.
From Time Magazine Archive
She had swept and ridded herself, rinsed her mouth with pure water, and now could sit to her dinner and review her plans.
From Rest Harrow A Comedy of Resolution by Maurice Henry Hewlett
Luna has repeatedly told The Times in interviews since he took office in 2022 that he is committed to ridding the department’s ranks of deputy gangs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026
So, what if ridding your home of plastic helped you finally get your partner pregnant?
From Slate ● Apr. 16, 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
Some adherents advise parents that the disturbing effects indicate that the treatment is working, ridding the body of impurities, or that the parents should alter the dosage.
From Salon ● Dec. 15, 2025
Maybe she’d be ridding herself of something gross, even temporarily.
From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
