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

It could also widen attacks on infrastructure in Persian Gulf countries — moves that would trigger an even bigger ripple effect across global markets.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

Those needs have expanded “beyond core technology and infrastructure, energy and data centers, generating a ripple effect across industries,” Goldman CEO David Solomon said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

The ripple effect could spread as far as the Western Isles where the defence research firm Qinetic has drone testing facilities on Benbecula and South Uist.

From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026

The findings, published in Ecology and Evolution, point to a phenomenon known as a trophic cascade, in which changes at the top of the food chain ripple through multiple levels of an ecosystem.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 28, 2026

At the sight of Frankie’s sharp, handsome features, I couldn’t help but feel a ripple of trepidation.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

Large cracks rippled through the buildings, revealing interior construction materials, AFP reporters said.

From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 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

The economic shock has also rippled across the world, driving up the cost of fule and other goods.

From Salon ● May 25, 2026

Within hours of the shooting that rippled across Southern California’s Muslim community, Abdullah’s picture had been circulated and reposted thousands of times.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 22, 2026

Its chest fur rippled, and it tilted its head.

From "Pet" by Akwaeke Emezi

The money is still missing, and the fallout is rippling through the tourist enclave of about 4,300 year-rounders, reports Scott Calvert.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 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

On the surface, the Bowdens are a perfect family, but cracks are rippling with increasing intensity just beneath, a fragility that will soon be exploited by Cady.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2026

She did not move straight down but twisted left and right as she went, rippling and winding with the current.

From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell