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
One was so indifferent to tourists, no one bothered to rip the vines of poison ivy off the tree trunks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
Drivers will be given the right to challenge "rip off" private parking charges and more grace when using private providers under new rules set out by Andy Burnham.
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 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
I felt it now, all inside of me, as if just saying my name out loud had unleashed a force and it was wrapping around the tangles, ready to rip them apart.
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
The L.A. native was the Portland Trail Blazers’ player development coach and the assistant general manager of the team’s G League affiliate Rip City Remix.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
High Surf and dangerous Rip Currents are expected Labor Day weekend into early next week.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
Irving’s whimsically inventive “Sketch Book” of stories introduced Rip Van Winkle, the headless horseman of Sleepy Hollow and other timelessly folkloric figures to an eager readership.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, Cristiano Ronaldo and LeBron James are just some of the names who feature in Nike's Rip the script World Cup advert.
From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2026
“I’ll Holy Ghost you, Charles Baker Harris! Rip the sheets off my best bed, will you? Cut holes in ’em, will you?
From "Go Set a Watchman: A Novel" by Harper Lee
Messages on its walls included: "RIP The Boys", "Never Be Forgotten RIP The Lads", and the initials of those in the car with "Rest easy boys".
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
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
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
If so, there could be no one around to put an R.I.P. on humanity’s gravestone.
From Salon ● Feb. 24, 2024
“Sir Sidney Poitier R.I.P. He showed us how to reach for the stars.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 7, 2022
Most end with loved ones sharing R.I.P. posts.
From New York Times ● Nov. 27, 2021
Zealot R.I.P. performs on Sept. 22 at D.C.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 14, 2021
“On the wall of P.S. 101’s schoolyard. The back wall. The one that faces 111th Street. Freddy would hang there all night. I want it to say, ‘Freddy the best of 109th Street, R.I.P.’
From "Bodega Dreams" by Ernesto Quinonez
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
“It’s like realizing you don’t have the title to your home as the market rips higher, that your purchase was null and void.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 15, 2026
Great every time though, he rips and clearly has some behind-the-scenes buzz from the songwriter trenches.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 1, 2026
She rips the stick from his teeth and trots down the dry bed, her tall ears pointed front and her nose high.
From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz
So it was a good sign when, at the start of 2026, the band rushed out two EPs of new music, ripped from the headlines of a world in turmoil.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
"It's hard to admit when you've really screwed up," the billionaire, 85, wrote on Instagram after she deleted a photo of herself in ripped jeans, a torn sweater and a dirtied face.
From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026
“Well, after ‘Sideways,’ thousands upon thousands of acres were ripped out.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 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
When things settled down to something I could control, I opened my eyes and saw that my snow pants and the jeans beneath were ripped in a jagged line for about a foot.
From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen
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
The letter compares the prospect to "Coronation Street leaving the north-west, or EastEnders leaving the south-east", adding that it risks "ripping out the heart of Ambridge".
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
“High oil prices and yields ripping puts valuations under pressure, so that earnings growth is key,” he added.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 11, 2026
A social media influencer accused of ripping off wealthy suitors is competent to stand trial in Los Angeles County on criminal charges that she seduced and stole from rich men, a judge announced Friday.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
He redoubled his attack, ripping furiously through the underbrush.
From "The Book of Three" by Lloyd Alexander
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