ripple

¹ American  

[rip-uhl] / ˈrɪp əl /

verb (used without object)

rippled, rippling

1. (of a liquid surface) to form small waves or undulations, as water agitated by a breeze.

   Synonyms:

   purl, undulate, wave

2. to flow with a light rise and fall or ruffling of the surface.

3. (of a solid surface) to form or have small undulations, ruffles, or folds.

4. (of sound) to undulate or rise and fall in tone, inflection, or magnitude.

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verb (used with object)

rippled, rippling

1. to form small waves or undulations on; agitate lightly.

   Synonyms:

   dimple, curl, ruffle

2. to mark as if with ripples; give a wavy form to.

noun

1. a small wave or undulation, as on water.

   Synonyms:

   ruffle, wavelet

2. any similar movement or appearance; a small undulation or wave, as in hair.

3. a small rapid.

4. Geology. ripple mark.

5. a sound, as of water flowing in ripples.

   a ripple of laughter.

ripple ² American  

[rip-uhl] / ˈrɪp əl /

noun

1. a toothed or comblike device for removing seeds or capsules from flax, hemp, etc.

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verb (used with object)

rippled, rippling

1. to remove the seeds or capsules from (flax or hemp) with a ripple.

ripple ¹ British  

/ ˈrɪpəl /

noun

1. a slight wave or undulation on the surface of water

2. a small wave or undulation in fabric, hair, etc

3. a sound reminiscent of water flowing quietly in ripples

   a ripple of laughter

4. electronics an oscillation of small amplitude superimposed on a steady value

5. another word for riffle

6. another word for ripple mark

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verb

1. (intr) to form ripples or flow with a rippling or undulating motion

2. (tr) to stir up (water) so as to form ripples

3. (tr) to make ripple marks

4. (intr) (of sounds) to rise and fall gently

   her laughter rippled through the air

ripple ² British  

/ ˈrɪpəl /

noun

1. a special kind of comb designed to separate the seed from the stalks in flax, hemp, or broomcorn

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verb

1. (tr) to comb with this tool

Usage

What does ripple mean? A ripple is a small wave, ruffle, or wrinkle on the surface of something, such as water, fabric, clouds, or hair. A raindrop causes ripples in a puddle. A soft gust of wind can cause ripples on the surface of a lake, on the surface of a sheet hanging from a clothesline, or through the tall grasses in the meadow. Ripples aren’t typically breaks in the surface where they appear—they are disturbances that change its shape momentarily. The word can also be applied to waves or wrinkles involving intangible or abstract things, such as ripples of cause and effect. Much like the ripples that result from tossing a stone into a pond, one action causes many other things to happen in a kind of chain reaction known as a ripple effect. Ripple can also refer to a cascading sound, like that of rippling water, as in a ripple of laughter. More specifically, ripple can refer to a swirl of a particular ingredient in ice cream, such as caramel or chocolate. There are even some flavors whose name indicates what the ripple consists of, such as butterscotch ripple.  Ripple is also used as a verb meaning to form or cause such waves, ruffles, or wrinkles, as in The wind rippled the surface of the river. It can also mean to gently flow or rise and fall. Things with ripples in them can be described as rippled or ripply. Example: I like to throw rocks into the still pond and see how far the ripples extend out.

Synonym Usage

See wave.

Other Word Forms

• rippler
  noun
• rippleless
  adjective
• rippling
  adjective
• ripply
  adjective
• ripplingly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of ripple¹

First recorded in 1610–20; origin uncertain

Origin of ripple²

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English; cognate with West Frisian ripel, Dutch repel, German Riffel

Explanation

A ripple is a small wave on the surface of something, such as a ripple that forms a ring around the spot where you threw a pebble into the pond. Ripple can also be a verb. For example, you might see raindrops ripple on top of a puddle. Ripple was first used in the 1670s to describe something that causes a ruffled surface, sort of like how water seems to momentarily gain texture as it's stirred. Ripple later came to describe a very small wave, but you've probably heard of the "ripple effect" in which tiny waves spread, setting off more and more waves.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ripple rippled rippling

High costs also ripple out to the entire economy, making everyday loans much more expensive for regular people.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 23, 2026

Zhuravlyov was then released, prompting a ripple of surprise from the crowd in court and a smile from the man in the dock.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

But where once these kinds of outbursts would have made waves, they now seem to ripple at best.

From Slate ● Aug. 18, 2026

That’s the kind of ripple effect that such wanton enabling can have, even if it’s not intentional.

From Salon ● Aug. 8, 2026

The Pool of Tears does not even ripple, the surface calm and smooth, and she is unable to grasp a stone to drop within it.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

Anxiety has rippled through the country’s AI circles following the April debut of Anthropic’s powerful Mythos system.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026

As the team's bus pulled away from the airport, flags rippled above the crowd and supporters surged alongside the vehicle until it disappeared from view.

From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026

Yet all of them convey an understanding, even an appreciation, for their close connection to an artist whose influence rippled across popular music.

From Salon ● Jun. 7, 2026

The Bell Beaker people rapidly expanded and rippled out further in all directions, creating the bronze age of central Europe.

From Science Daily ● May 30, 2026

Oh, just imagine bumping up those stairs—at sea—on the train of a dress that rippled from step to step.

From "Secrets at Sea" by Richard Peck

This misperception carries profound consequences and is currently rippling through our world, eroding trust, deepening isolation and creating a social environment in which empathy is swiftly becoming an atrophied muscle in desperate need of exercise.

From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026

The whole film is hazy — literally — with plumes of mist rippling through soundstages so stripped of life they resemble the bones of a dream.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

Individual investors have increasingly piled into leveraged exchange-traded funds, aiming to amplify the moves in semiconductor stocks and at times exacerbating tremors rippling through markets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 2026

It's a tradition repeated in stadiums across the world, with crowds of spectators rising up in a rippling roar.

From BBC ● Jun. 7, 2026

Gregor could see thé muscles rippling in anticipation along Ripred’s broad gray back as the spinners approached.

From "Gregor the Overlander" by Suzanne Collins