ripen
Americanverb (used with or without object)
-
to make or become ripe.
-
to bring or come to maturity, the proper condition, etc.; mature.
verb
Other Word Forms
- half-ripened adjective
- overripen verb
- ripener noun
- underripened adjective
- unripened adjective
- unripening adjective
- well-ripened adjective
Etymology
Origin of ripen
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.
Back at base camp, the fruits were frozen to halt further ripening.
From Science Daily
And like every such show, it can be expected to ripen with age, if age comes.
From Los Angeles Times
“Unlike during childhood, Act III is a quiet ripening. It takes time and experience, and yes, perhaps the inevitable slowing down,” she wrote.
From Los Angeles Times
She shows me ripening limes and lemons inside her allotment greenhouse.
From BBC
As part of her narration, Catherine describes summer as the "season for abundance", saying that "as the flowers bloom and the fruits ripen, we too are reminded of our own potential for growth".
From BBC
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.
