rip
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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to cut or tear apart in a rough or vigorous manner.
to rip open a seam; to rip up a sheet.
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to cut or tear away in a rough or vigorous manner.
to rip bark from a tree.
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to saw (wood) in the direction of the grain.
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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)
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to become torn apart or split open.
Cheap cloth rips easily.
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Informal. to move with violence or great speed.
The sports car ripped along in a cloud of dust and exhaust fumes.
noun
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a rent made by ripping; tear.
- Synonyms:
- cut, laceration
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Slang. a cheat, swindle, or theft; ripoff.
The average consumer doesn't realize that the new tax is a rip.
verb phrase
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rip out to utter angrily, as with an oath or exclamation.
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rip off
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to steal or pilfer.
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to rob or steal from.
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to swindle, cheat, or exploit; take advantage of.
phony charity appeals that rip off a gullible public.
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rip into to attack physically or verbally; assail.
idioms
noun
noun
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a dissolute or worthless person.
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a worthless or worn-out horse.
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something of little or no value.
noun
abbreviation
noun
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something or someone of little or no value
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an old worn-out horse
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a dissolute character; reprobate
verb
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to tear or be torn violently or roughly; split or be rent
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(tr; foll by off or out) to remove hastily, carelessly, or roughly
they ripped out all the old kitchen units
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informal (intr) to move violently or precipitously; rush headlong
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informal to pour violent abuse (on); make a verbal attack (on)
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(tr) to saw or split (wood) in the direction of the grain
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informal (tr) computing to copy (music or software) without permission or making any payment
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to act or speak without restraint
noun
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the place where something is torn; a tear or split
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short for ripsaw
noun
abbreviation
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A stretch of water in a river, estuary, or tidal channel made rough by waves meeting an opposing current.
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A rip current.
Related Words
See tear 2.
Other Word Forms
- rippable adjective
- unrippable adjective
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; 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
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.
Dorsey explained in a social media post that he could either make gradual cuts over the next few years or rip the band-aid off now.
From Barron's
The U.S. government has warned it will rip up its agreements with Anthropic if the AI startup fails to reach a deal with the Pentagon, according to the Financial Times.
From MarketWatch
Julie says she felt "disbelief that a storm could have caused so much damage, especially when the trees were ripped out of the ground".
From BBC
At Milan Fashion Week on Thursday, the Prada show opened with cozy knit sweaters and multi-coloured scarves, only for garments to be ripped open, exposed and distressed as the catwalk continued.
From Barron's
The Vanguard Consumer Staples Index exchange-traded fund has ripped higher—and looks unattractive.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
