rip
verb (used with object)
to cut or tear apart in a rough or vigorous manner.
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rip
1 American
[rip]
/ rɪp /
verb (used with object)
-
rips,
present (3rd person singular)
-
ripped,
past participle, past
-
ripping
present participle
-
to cut or tear apart in a rough or vigorous manner.
to rip open a seam; to rip up a sheet.
-
to cut or tear away in a rough or vigorous manner.
to rip bark from a tree.
-
to saw (wood) in the direction of the grain.
-
Digital Technology. to copy (audio or video files from a CD, DVD, or website) to a hard drive or mobile device, typically by extracting the raw data and changing the file format in the process.
Can you rip this CD for me?
verb (used without object)
-
rips,
present (3rd person singular)
-
ripped,
past participle, past
-
ripping
present participle
-
to become torn apart or split open.
Cheap cloth rips easily.
-
Informal. to move with violence or great speed.
The sports car ripped along in a cloud of dust and exhaust fumes.
noun
-
a rent made by ripping; tear.
- Synonyms:
- cut, laceration
-
Slang. a cheat, swindle, or theft; ripoff.
The average consumer doesn't realize that the new tax is a rip.
verb phrase
-
rip out to utter angrily, as with an oath or exclamation.
-
rip off
-
to steal or pilfer.
-
to rob or steal from.
-
to swindle, cheat, or exploit; take advantage of.
phony charity appeals that rip off a gullible public.
-
-
rip into to attack physically or verbally; assail.
idioms
rip
2
American
[rip]
/ rɪp /
noun
rip
3
American
[rip]
/ rɪp /
noun
Informal.
-
a dissolute or worthless person.
-
a worthless or worn-out horse.
-
something of little or no value.
Rip
4
American
[rip]
/ rɪp /
noun
RIP
5
American
[ahr-ahy-pee, rip]
/ ˈɑrˈaɪˈpi, rɪp /
Or
R.I.P.
abbreviation
rip
1
British
/ rɪp /
noun
rip
2
British
/ rɪp /
verb
-
to tear or be torn violently or roughly; split or be rent
-
(tr; foll by off or out) to remove hastily, carelessly, or roughly
they ripped out all the old kitchen units
-
informal (intr) to move violently or precipitously; rush headlong
-
informal to pour violent abuse (on); make a verbal attack (on)
-
(tr) to saw or split (wood) in the direction of the grain
-
informal (tr) computing to copy (music or software) without permission or making any payment
-
to act or speak without restraint
noun
-
the place where something is torn; a tear or split
-
short for ripsaw
rip
3
British
/ rɪp /
noun
-
something or someone of little or no value
-
an old worn-out horse
-
a dissolute character; reprobate
RIP
4
British
abbreviation
rip
Scientific
/ rĭp /
-
A stretch of water in a river, estuary, or tidal channel made rough by waves meeting an opposing current.
-
A rip current.
R.I.P.
Cultural
rip
More Idioms
Synonym Usage
See tear 2.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
ripsimple
-
ripssimple
-
have rippedperfect
-
has rippedperfect
-
am rippingprogressive
-
are rippingprogressive
-
is rippingprogressive
-
have been rippingperfect progressive
-
has been rippingperfect progressive
Past
-
rippedsimple
-
had rippedperfect
-
was rippingprogressive
-
were rippingprogressive
-
had been rippingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of rip1
First recorded in 1400–50; 1960–65 rip 1 for def. 10; Middle English rippen “to tear out (seams, sutures), rip, rip off”; further origin uncertain; obscurely akin to Frisian rippe, Middle Dutch rippen, reppen; compare dialectal English ripple “to scratch”
Origin of rip2
First recorded in 1765–75; see origin at rip 1, ripple 1
Origin of rip3
First recorded in 1770–80; of uncertain origin; possibly alteration of rep, shortened form of reprobate
Origin of RIP5
From Latin requiēscat (or requiēscant ) in pāce
Explanation
When you rip something, you tear it quickly or forcefully. It's almost always better to rip off a Band-Aid than to peel it off slowly. You can rip a piece of paper in half, or rip a hole in the roof of your tent. When you tear, split, or pull something apart, you rip it. You can also rip figuratively — like when your move to a new city rips you apart from your best friend. A rip off is a bad deal or a swindle, a phrase that's been popular since about 1970, although rip meaning "steal" was used as prison slang much earlier.
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:
Retail trade groups, however, reject the claim that digital tags are designed to manipulate prices to rip off consumers.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 23, 2026
The agency is warning that rip currents can pull swimmers and surfers out to sea, while waves can wash people off beaches and rocks and capsize small boats near shore.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
"I'd beaten him on the outside a couple of times so I thought I'll come inside and just let rip," Madueke said.
From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2026
The National Hurricane Center said the worst of Rachel was over but "hazardous coastal conditions" could persist for days, with the highest waves coinciding with high tides, causing life-threatening surf and rip currents.
From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026
“The trouble between us and the rest of Alke only started after that blasted rip appeared,” Brer muttered.
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
“It’s almost like you could wake up 30 years later in a Rip Van Winkle dream, and you’re in the same spot.“
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026
PopUp’s trademarked motto is “Grip, Rip, and Dip.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 9, 2026
"Michael Keaton was there, Brian Cox and a very young Cole Hauser who actually at the moment is a huge star who plays Rip in Yellowstone," he said.
From BBC ● Feb. 17, 2026
Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser will reprise their respective roles as Dutton’s volcanic daughter Beth Dutton and her husband, boss ranch hand Rip Wheeler, in Paramount+’s “Dutton Ranch.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 2, 2026
I’m like that old man with the beard, Rip Van Winkle.
From "All The Bright Places" by Jennifer Niven
RIP: Despite a Season 2 renewal earlier this year, Disney just announced “Wonder Man” has been canceled.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026
RIP, Sam Neill: The New Zealand actor died unexpectedly today at 78.
From Slate ● Jul. 13, 2026
Following the verdict, Mieraili said: "RIP Thailand's justice system. I don't accept any of this. I didn't do anything wrong."
From Barron's ● Jun. 11, 2026
A comment from Yeovilton Military Wives Choir said: "Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends and colleagues of those who sadly lost their lives. May they RIP."
From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026
I’ve tweeted RIP hashtags, reblogged pictures on Tumblr, and signed every petition out there.
From "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas
Ex-Tottenham centre-back Ramon Vega: "So sad. What a player and what a character as a manager! Kevin, you brought quality and greatness to the game. Thank you. R.I.P."
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
If so, there could be no one around to put an R.I.P. on humanity’s gravestone.
From Salon ● Feb. 24, 2024
If that doesn’t spike the ratings, then R.I.P.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 20, 2023
Among the drawings is a sidewalk memorial showing the image of a Black boy on a poster marked R.I.P. attached to an iron fence and surrounded by flowers.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 15, 2022
You’d nod and then ask the person on what wall she wanted the R.I.P. and what to paint on it.
From "Bodega Dreams" by Ernesto Quinonez
“It rips out Prop. 103’s good‑driver protections and replaces your actual driving record with a black‑box score built on sweeping data collection,’’ Balber said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
An alarm on his pager rips him from sleep at 1 a.m.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026
As a once-in-a-century storm rips the place apart, Tom’s conversion may have arrived too late for the town, its visitors and his family.
From Salon ● Jun. 18, 2026
The episode’s signature moment comes in a soliloquy from Gen Z hero Ava Daniels, in which she rips into the idea that A.I. is inevitable and talks about how we can and should fight it.
From Slate ● Jun. 2, 2026
He rips away from me but sits back down, huddling his knees to his chest.
From "King and the Dragonflies" by Kacen Callender
Vlasenko ripped it open to find some kind of harness, along with instructions written on paper and recorded on a cellphone video.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
But he is staying despite the fact that the facade of his building was ripped open by a guided aerial bomb.
From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026
‘When the railroad stocks crashed, nobody went and ripped up the rails and said, “Let’s go back to horses and carriages.”’
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 27, 2026
More than £1m is to be spent on nature recovery projects, including the restoration of habitats destroyed by a fire which ripped through a huge area of hillside in the Cairngorms.
From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026
Alas, once the room was a shambles, the curtains ripped, and the pillows emptied of feathers, their meaning became all too clear.
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
“She made Bumper look like a saint the way she was ripping off the school,” Borges said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026
And unlike us mere mortals, they aren’t afflicted by pesky qualms about their reputation or career, or that queasy feeling in the gut produced by years of social conditioning against lying or ripping people off.
From Slate ● Oct. 25, 2026
I mean wrestle-wrestle, like takedowns and headlocks and ripping the pinstriped sleeves off well-tailored custom suits.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026
“High oil prices and yields ripping puts valuations under pressure, so that earnings growth is key,” he added.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 11, 2026
I began tearing at the hooks of my dress, ripping the stuff.
From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
