ripsnorter

American

[rip-snawr-ter] / ˈrɪpˈsnɔr tər /

noun

Informal.

something or someone exceedingly strong or violent.

a ripsnorter of a gale.
something or someone remarkably good or exciting.

ripsnorter British

/ ˈrɪpˌsnɔːtə /

noun

slang a person or thing noted for intensity or excellence

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

ripsnorting adjective

Etymology

Origin of ripsnorter

An Americanism dating back to 1830–40; rip ¹ + snorter

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.

A later action sequence has the choreography chops of a George Miller multi-vehicle ripsnorter.

From Los Angeles Times

"Looks to me as though we're going to have a ripsnorter for Christmas," said Eric to his friend, Homer, the day before the festive season.

From Project Gutenberg

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023