ripple

1
[ rip-uhl ]
See synonyms for ripple on Thesaurus.com
verb (used without object),rip·pled, rip·pling.
  1. (of a liquid surface) to form small waves or undulations, as water agitated by a breeze.

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

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

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

verb (used with object),rip·pled, rip·pling.
  1. to form small waves or undulations on; agitate lightly.

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

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

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

  1. a small rapid.

  2. Geology. ripple mark.

  3. a sound, as of water flowing in ripples: a ripple of laughter.

Origin of ripple

1
First recorded in 1610–20; origin uncertain

synonym study For ripple

7. See wave.

Other words for ripple

Other words from ripple

  • rip·ple·less, adjective
  • rip·pling·ly, adverb

Other definitions for ripple (2 of 2)

ripple2
[ rip-uhl ]

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

verb (used with object),rip·pled, rip·pling.
  1. to remove the seeds or capsules from (flax or hemp) with a ripple.

Origin of ripple

2
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English; cognate with West Frisian ripel, Dutch repel, German Riffel

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use ripple in a sentence

  • The still river rippled, and a sun-bronzed face shot half-clear again.

    The Gold Trail | Harold Bindloss
  • The rippled waters between the four walls of the cave were like wavy paving tiles.

    Toilers of the Sea | Victor Hugo
  • A breeze blowing across the cornfield swept over them, shaking the maple leaves, and rippled the surface of the lake.

    A Hoosier Chronicle | Meredith Nicholson
  • Its ceiling consisted of tacked-up sheets, inside which spiders and dust and sand whispered and the wind rippled.

    Mushroom Town | Oliver Onions
  • The little steamer clove light green waters that were hardly rippled by the breeze.

    The Relief of Mafeking | Filson Young

British Dictionary definitions for ripple (1 of 2)

ripple1

/ (ˈrɪpəl) /


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

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

  1. a sound reminiscent of water flowing quietly in ripples: a ripple of laughter

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

  3. US and Canadian another word for riffle (def. 4)

  4. another word for ripple mark

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

  1. (tr) to make ripple marks

  2. (intr) (of sounds) to rise and fall gently: her laughter rippled through the air

Origin of ripple

1
C17: perhaps from rip 1

Derived forms of ripple

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

British Dictionary definitions for ripple (2 of 2)

ripple2

/ (ˈrɪpəl) /


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

verb
  1. (tr) to comb with this tool

Origin of ripple

2
C14: of Germanic origin; compare Middle Dutch repelen, Middle High German reffen to ripple

Derived forms of ripple

  • rippler, noun

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