ripen
Americanverb (used with or without object)
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to make or become ripe.
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to bring or come to maturity, the proper condition, etc.; mature.
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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unripeningadjective
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overripenverb
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unripenedadjective
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ripenernoun
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half-ripenedadjective
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underripenedadjective
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well-ripenedadjective
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have ripenedperfect
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has ripenedperfect 3rd person singular
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has been ripeningperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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have been ripeningperfect progressive
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am ripeningprogressive 1st person singular
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ripeningparticiple
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are ripeningprogressive
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is ripeningprogressive 3rd person singular
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ripenssingular 3rd person
Past
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had ripenedperfect
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were ripeningprogressive plural
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had been ripeningperfect progressive
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ripenedsimple
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ripenedparticiple
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was ripeningprogressive singular
Future
Etymology
Origin of ripen
Explanation
When fruit becomes ripe and ready to eat, it ripens. Tomatoes will ripen after you pick them, becoming darker red and more juicy. You can use ripen to talk about the maturing process of all fruits, and some vegetables — apples, peppers, and corn all need to ripen before they're at the perfect, delicious state for being eaten. Figuratively, you can also talk about people this way: "She is really starting to ripen as an actor!" Before ripen was coined around 1560, the verb was ripe, as in, "When the avocados ripe, I'll make guacamole."
Vocabulary lists containing ripen
Vocabulary from Readings 4, Unit 1
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"In Response to Executive Order 9066"
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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.
