ripen

[ rahy-puhn ]

/ ˈraɪ pən /

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See synonyms for: ripen / ripened / ripening on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with or without object)

to make or become ripe.

to bring or come to maturity, the proper condition, etc.; mature.

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Origin of ripen

First recorded in 1555–65; ripe + -en¹

OTHER WORDS FROM ripen

rip·en·er, nounhalf-ripened, adjectiveo·ver·rip·en, verbun·der·rip·ened, adjective

un·rip·ened, adjectiveun·rip·en·ing, adjectivewell-ripened, adjective

Words nearby ripen

riparian, riparian right, rip cord, rip current, ripe, ripen, rip entry, ripe old age, ripe rot, ripidolite, ripieno

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use ripen in a sentence

She knows just how to trigger liberals with outrageous rhetoric that ripens in the QAnon realm of conspiracy theories and misinformation.
Marjorie Taylor Greene Isn't a Fluke—She Might Be the Future|Philip Elliott|November 17, 2021|Time
A steep walk led to Bald Peak, then we continued through ripening wild blueberries to Parkman Mountain, Gilmore Peak and the 1,373-foot Sargent Mountain.
Don’t call it relaxation. On this Maine island, vacation is for rusticating.|Jen Rose Smith|September 10, 2021|Washington Post
As such it seems guaranteed to do the business at the box office, but it feels like a lost opportunity to either dig down deeper into the soul of a pop star, or to break out a few more laughs by ripening the portrayal.
‘Aline,’ Cannes’ Unauthorized Celine Dion Biopic, Is Like a Will Ferrell Movie Without the Jokes|Caspar Salmon|July 14, 2021|The Daily Beast
That’s why those at Top Banana — the largest vendors of Dole bananas in the North East — have developed a complex system for ripening bananas from all over the world to perfection.
How Top Banana Moves Over One Million Pounds of Bananas per Week|Eater Video|July 14, 2021|Eater

Early in the season, I get them by the dozen, treating myself to a direct shipment from Georgia, and later, when the fruit is ripening further north, I cart home as much as I can carry from my local farmers market.
Pork chops and peaches meld savory with sweet in this speedy skillet dinner|Ellie Krieger|June 17, 2021|Washington Post
The motions will “ripen,” in the rather charming legislative argot applied to this aggressively charmless process, next Tuesday.
Reid Awakening|Michael Tomasky|July 12, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Perhaps Snickers should have let Barr and Lewis ripen another 20 years.
Super Bowl Ads 2011: Report Card|James P. Othmer|February 7, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Certain washed-rind cheeses ripen in just weeks, others over the span of a few years.
Why We Love Stinky Cheese|Stacey Slate|January 14, 2010|DAILY BEAST
The first, in 1990-91, was necessary, launched only after circumstance and great diplomatic effort had allowed it to “ripen.”
Secrets of Two Iraq Wars|Nathaniel Fick|April 30, 2009|DAILY BEAST
The plants ripen very fast and emit an aromatic odor, increasing in strength as the plants ripen.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
They never top their tobacco, and the leaves never ripen together.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
I perceive that the amount of nicotine in a great measure depends on the extent to which the leaf is allowed to ripen.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
(p. 443) The leaves ripen sooner if the plant is topped, while the quality is much better.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
Our Indian corn will not ripen and all I saw of it was a few little garden patches.
British Highways And Byways From A Motor Car|Thomas D. Murphy

British Dictionary definitions for ripen

ripen

/ (ˈraɪpən) /

verb

to make or become ripe

Derived forms of ripen

ripener, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

ripen

Origin of ripen

OTHER WORDS FROM ripen

Words nearby ripen

Words related to ripen

How to use ripen in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ripen

Derived forms of ripen