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View synonyms for ride

ride

1

[ rahyd ]

verb (used without object)

, rode or (Archaic) rid; rid·den or (Archaic) rid; rid·ing.
  1. to sit on and manage a horse or other animal in motion; be carried on the back of an animal.
  2. to be borne along on or in a vehicle or other kind of conveyance.
  3. to move or float on the water:

    the surfboarders riding on the crests of the waves.

  4. to move along in any way; be carried or supported:

    He is riding along on his friend's success. Distress is riding among the people.

  5. to have a specified character for riding purposes:

    The car rides smoothly.

  6. to be conditioned; depend (usually followed by on ):

    All his hopes are riding on getting that promotion.

  7. Informal. to continue without interruption or interference:

    He decided to let the bet ride.

  8. to be carried on something, as a litter, a person's shoulders, or the like.
  9. to work or move up from the proper place or position (usually followed by up ):

    Her skirt rode up above her knees.

  10. to extend or project over something, as the edge of one thing over the edge of another thing.
  11. to turn or rest on something:

    the great globe of the world riding on its axis.

  12. to appear to float in space, as a heavenly body:

    A blood-red moon rode in the cloudless sky.

  13. to lie at anchor, as a ship.


verb (used with object)

, rode or (Archaic) rid; rid·den or (Archaic) rid; rid·ing.
  1. to sit on and manage (a horse, bicycle, etc.) so as to be carried along.
  2. to sit or move along on (something); be carried or borne along on:

    The ship rode the waves. We ride a bus.

  3. to ride over, along, or through (a road, boundary, region, etc.); traverse.
  4. to ridicule or harass persistently:

    The boys keep riding him about his poor grades.

  5. to control, dominate, or tyrannize over:

    a man ridden by fear; a country that is ridden by a power-mad dictator.

  6. to cause to ride.
  7. to carry (a person) on something as if on a horse:

    He rode the child about on his back.

  8. to execute by riding:

    to ride a race.

  9. to rest on, especially by overlapping.
  10. to keep (a vessel) at anchor or moored.
  11. Jazz. to play improvisations on (a melody).

noun

  1. a journey or excursion on a horse, camel, etc., or on or in a vehicle.
  2. a means of or arrangement for transportation by motor vehicle:

    We'll handle rides to be sure everyone gets home quickly.

  3. the vehicle used for transportation:

    I've got to hang up now—my ride's here.

  4. a vehicle or device, as a Ferris wheel, roller coaster, or merry-go-round, on which people ride for amusement.
  5. a way, road, etc., made especially for riding.

verb phrase

    1. to sustain (a gale, storm, etc.) without damage, as while riding at anchor.
    2. to sustain or endure successfully.

Ride

2

[ rahyd ]

noun

  1. Sally, 1951–2012, U.S. astronaut and astrophysicist: first U.S. woman to reach outer space 1983.

ride

/ raɪd /

verb

  1. to sit on and control the movements of (a horse or other animal)
  2. tr to sit on and propel (a bicycle or similar vehicle)
  3. intr; often foll by on or in to be carried along or travel on or in a vehicle

    she rides to work on the bus

  4. tr to travel over or traverse

    they rode the countryside in search of shelter

  5. tr to take part in by riding

    to ride a race

  6. to travel through or be carried across (sea, sky, etc)

    the moon was riding high

    the small boat rode the waves

  7. tr to cause to be carried

    to ride someone out of town

  8. intr to be supported as if floating

    the candidate rode to victory on his new policies

  9. intr (of a vessel) to lie at anchor
  10. tr (of a vessel) to be attached to (an anchor)
  11. (esp of a bone) to overlap or lie over (another structure or part)
  12. informal.
    1. intr to drive a car
    2. tr to transport (goods, farm produce, etc) by motor vehicle or cart
  13. tr (of a male animal) to copulate with; mount
  14. slang.
    tr to have sexual intercourse with (someone)
  15. tr; usually passive to tyrannize over or dominate

    ridden by fear

  16. informal.
    tr to persecute, esp by constant or petty criticism

    don't ride me so hard over my failure

  17. informal.
    intr to continue undisturbed

    I wanted to change something, but let it ride

  18. tr to endure successfully; ride out
  19. tr to yield slightly to (a blow or punch) in order to lessen its impact
  20. introften foll byon (of a bet) to remain placed

    let your winnings ride on the same number

  21. intr jazz to play well, esp in freely improvising at perfect tempo
  22. ride roughshod over
    ride roughshod over to domineer over or act with complete disregard for
  23. ride to hounds
    ride to hounds to take part in a fox hunt on horseback
  24. ride for a fall
    ride for a fall to act in such a way as to invite disaster
  25. ride again informal.
    ride again to return to a former activity or scene of activity
  26. riding high
    riding high confident, popular, and successful


noun

  1. a journey or outing on horseback or in a vehicle
  2. a path specially made for riding on horseback
  3. transport in a vehicle, esp when given freely to a pedestrian; lift

    can you give me a ride to the station?

  4. a device or structure, such as a roller coaster at a fairground, in which people ride for pleasure or entertainment
  5. slang.
    an act of sexual intercourse
  6. slang.
    a partner in sexual intercourse
  7. take for a ride informal.
    take for a ride
    1. to cheat, swindle, or deceive
    2. to take (someone) away in a car and murder him

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Derived Forms

  • ˈridable, adjective

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Word History and Origins

Origin of ride1

First recorded before 900; 1915–20 ride fordef 17; Middle English riden (verb), Old English rīdan; cognate with Old Frisian rīda, German reiten, Old Norse rītha; akin to Old Irish ríad “journey” ( palfrey, rheda )

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Word History and Origins

Origin of ride1

Old English rīdan ; related to Old High German rītan , Old Norse rītha

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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. ride down,
    1. to trample or overturn by riding upon or against.
    2. to ride up to; overtake; capture:

      The posse rode down the escaping bank robber.

    3. Nautical. to bear down upon (a rope of a tackle) with all one's weight.
  2. ride for a fall, to conduct oneself so as to invite misfortune or injury.
  3. ride the beam, Aeronautics. to fly along the course indicated by a radio beam.
  4. take for a ride, Slang.
    1. to murder, especially by abducting the victim for that purpose.
    2. to deceive; trick:

      It was obvious to everyone but me that I was being taken for a ride.

  5. ride herd on. herd 1( def 6 ).
  6. ride shotgun. shotgun ( def 11 ).

More idioms and phrases containing ride

  • along for the ride
  • go along (for the ride)
  • gravy train, ride the
  • hitch a ride
  • let ride
  • take someone for a ride

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Synonym Study

See drive.

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Example Sentences

Germs like the flu virus can also hitch a ride on dust and other airborne particles that we shed.

If you’re a crime junkie, clear your schedule, because this one is going to take you on a ride.

From Ozy

Uber may also try to push more drivers to work for both its rides and food delivery services to reduce costs, Shmulik said.

From Fortune

Along for the ride are the real people whose lives and livelihoods are, to some degree, linked to it.

Meanwhile, ride demand has been rebounding from the sharp drop-off that accompanied the start of lockdowns across the US.

From Quartz

I told them it was back where I parked my car, so they offered me a ride.

I mean, the reality of it was, I had to go out and get on a horse, and ride in, shoot the gun — how hard was that, right?

“They just walk around, they ride in their patrol cars, and they just pass by,” he said.

In “Sleigh Ride,” the narrator is painting a scene so perfect that it could be featured on an iconic Currier and Ives print.

My bike ride that mid-October day starts like so many others.

Possibly, he would not shy at such monstrosities after twenty miles of a lathering ride.

The other day an excursion was arranged to Sondershausen, a town about three hours' ride from Weimar in the cars.

The truth is, it is not safe to trot down such mountains and hardly to ride down them at all.

The farmer told him it was six miles; "but," he added, "you must ride sharp, or you will get a wet jacket before you reach it."

Coppy, in a tone of too-hastily-assumed authority, had told her over night that she must not ride out by the river.

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More About Ride

What is a basic definition of ride?

Ride is a verb that means to sit on the back of a moving animal or to travel in or on a vehicle, like a car. A ride is a journey made on an animal or using a vehicle. Ride has many other senses as a verb and a noun.

When someone rides an animal, they are usually sitting on the animal’s back while it moves. In general, the word ride is used even if the animal is uncooperative or is trying to get rid of the person sitting on them. The person sitting on the animal is called a rider. Its past tenses are rode and ridden.

  • Real-life examples: Horses are the most common animal that people ride. Cowboys attempt to ride angry bulls at rodeos. In many Asian countries, people ride camels.
  • Used in a sentence: I like to ride horses with my mom.

In a similar sense, ride is used to mean to travel using a vehicle. This can include a vehicle you stand or sit on, like a bicycle.

  • Real-life examples: People ride bikes, motorcycles, and skateboards. Airplanes, submarines, boats, cars, trains, buses, and subway cars are vehicles that people ride in.
  • Used in a sentence: Grant rides the subway to get to work.

A ride is also the journey or trip you take on an animal or using a vehicle. This sense of ride is also used figuratively to mean any journey or experience that a person has embarked on.

  • Real-life examples: Petting zoos often offer pony rides to children. A trip from Tokyo to Berlin would be a long ride, no matter what kind of vehicle you used. People who are afraid of heights probably won’t be fans of airplane rides.
  • Used in a sentence: My college years were a wild ride.

Where does ride come from?

The first records of ride come from before the 900s. It comes from the Old English verb rīdan. It is related to similar words with the same meaning, such as the Old Frisian rīda, the German reiten, and the Old Norse rītha.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to ride?

  • rider (noun)
  • ridable; rideable (adjective)

What are some synonyms for ride?

What are some words that share a root or word element with ride

What are some words that often get used in discussing ride?

How is ride used in real life?

Ride is a very common word that most often means to travel on the back of an animal or to travel on or in a vehicle.

Try using ride!

Which of the following is a person most likely to ride?

A. bench
B. horse
C. road
D. shower

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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.

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riddledrideable