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

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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

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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

However, de la Iglesia argues that such a change could have ripple effects throughout daily life, potentially requiring families and workplaces to adjust their schedules as well.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 4, 2026

And in Maine's $8-billion forest-related industry, "we're seeing cost increases ripple through," with some logging operations shrinking or shuttering altogether, Martin said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 26, 2026

The ripple effect of ecstatic reactions set the tone for a sprint to theaters nationwide just over a month later.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

“There are so many ripple effects once somebody is detained, and we’re really feeling it in L.A.,”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2026

I swam on, barely causing a ripple, heart thumping.

From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo

Protests have rippled across the South American nation after the takeover of Ueno Bank on Tuesday left millions of depositors, including pensioners, without access to their money.

From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026

U.S. stocks fell, with tech leading the losses, as another bout of jitters rippled through global markets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026

The price increases have rippled across the globe, fuelling inflation in economies across a range of income groups.

From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026

Since the start of September, the U.S. bond market has faced a selloff that has also rippled through to European bonds.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 2, 2026

Hot anger flared from his mind and rippled through his body with a surge of heat.

From "Shooting Kabul" by N. H. Senzai

Lopez is part of a shift rippling through Latino communities across the country.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026

During the early morning of October 11, the storm generated rippling disturbances that traveled into Earth's upper atmosphere.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026

The escalating threat is rippling through the economy, disrupting businesses and changing job requirements, making security guards and even postal workers part of the drone defenses.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026

It was based on the profile picture of the couple’s shared Facebook account, but Walters had swapped out palm trees for three Christian crosses and the American flag rippling in the breeze.

From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026

Hazel, however, returned and sat pensive at the lip of the hole, looking out at the silent, rippling veils of rain that drifted across and across the little valley between the two copses.

From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams

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