ride

1 of 2

verb

rode ˈrōd How to pronounce ride (audio) or chiefly dialectal rid ˈrid How to pronounce ride (audio) ; ridden ˈri-dᵊn How to pronounce ride (audio) or chiefly dialectal rid or rode; riding ˈrī-diŋ How to pronounce ride (audio)

intransitive verb

1
a
: to sit and travel on the back of an animal that one directs
b
: to travel in or on a conveyance
2
: to travel as if on a conveyance : be borne
rode on a wave of popularity
3
a
: to lie moored or anchored
a ship rides at anchor
b
: sail
c
: to move like a floating object
the moon rode in the sky
4
: to become supported on a point or surface
5
a
: to travel over a surface
the car rides well
b
: to move on the body
shorts that ride up
6
: to continue without interference
let it ride
7
a
: to be contingent : depend
plans on which the future rides
b
: to become bet
a lot of money riding on the favorite

transitive verb

1
a
: to travel on
ride a bike
ride the bus
b
: to move with like a rider
ride the waves
2
a
: to traverse by conveyance
rode 500 miles
b
: to ride a horse in
ride a race
3
: survive, outlast
usually used with out
rode out the gale
4
: to traverse on horseback to inspect or maintain
ride fence
5
: to mount in copulation
used of a male animal
6
a
: obsess, oppress
ridden by anxiety
b
: to harass persistently : nag
c
: tease, rib
7
8
: to project over : overlap
9
: to give with (a punch) to soften the impact
10
: to keep in partial engagement by resting a foot continuously on the pedal
ride the brakes
rideable adjective
or less commonly ridable

ride

2 of 2

noun

plural rides
1
: an act of riding
especially : a trip on horseback or by vehicle
2
: a way (such as a road or path) suitable for riding
3
: any of various mechanical devices (as at an amusement park) for riding on
4
: a trip on which gangsters take a victim to murder him
Symphony shivered. He had heard in Pentonville what "going for a little ride" meant in American crook circles.Gwyn Evans
see also take for a ride
5
: a means of transportation
especially, informal : one's personal vehicle
… buying himself a 1964 Buick Riviera and then posing with his new ride on the studio's backlot. Andrew Liszewski
6
: the qualities of travel comfort in a vehicle
Phrases
ride circuit
: to hold court in the various towns of a judicial circuit
ride for a fall
: to court disaster
ride herd on
: to keep a check on : supervise
ride high
: to experience success
ride shotgun
: to ride in the front passenger seat of a vehicle

Examples of ride in a Sentence

Verb She learned how to ride a horse when she was young. Most children learn to ride a bicycle at an early age. He rides his motorcycle to work every day. I never rode on a horse before. She got on her bicycle and rode away. He decided to walk to the movies instead of riding the bus. She rides the subway home from school. They rode the elevator to the second floor. We rode through the park in a horse-drawn carriage. The dog rode in the back of the truck. Noun We went for a ride in the country. I had my first ride in a limousine. I need a ride to work. She caught a ride with her coworker. We went on a horseback ride. The kids had a ride on a horse. They offered pony rides at the fair. The Ferris wheel is my favorite ride. We went for a ride on the roller coaster.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
After a brief stop at a tavern owned by Mary Surratt, who also ran a boarding house in the capital, the two fugitives rode toward Bryantown, Maryland, to the house of another acquaintance: physician Samuel Mudd. Vanessa Armstrong, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Mar. 2024 The lone star rides his motorcycle in the middle of the night and basks in a harsh white spotlight in the middle of the desert. Heran Mamo, Billboard, 14 Mar. 2024 The two also rode toy motorcycles together in the arcade while the children played. Rebecca Aizin, Peoplemag, 14 Mar. 2024 One of my favorite resources for bike ride inspo is Gravel Bike California, a comprehensive gravel riding resource (and YouTube channel) from local rider Zachary Rynew. Michael Charboneau, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024 Playing at today’s six spades, Cy took the ace of clubs, drew trumps and let the nine of diamonds ride, losing to East’s ten. Frank Stewart, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2024 For endurance, try 30 to 60 minutes of hiking, walking, riding a bike, running or swimming two times per week. Amanda Loudin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Mar. 2024 Less overtly a horror movie than Nosferatu, F.W. Murnau’s final German film rides the line between fantasy and horror, crafting fantastical visuals and layering them on top of a dark fairy tale. Katie Rife, EW.com, 12 Mar. 2024 The director goes full white-knuckle thrill ride in its sequel, orchestrating a glorious sandworm riding sequence that took 44 days to shoot. Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 4 Mar. 2024
Noun
This will be a careful process; after all, there would be only 30 seats on the ride back to Earth for these geological samples. Amy J. Williams, Discover Magazine, 16 Mar. 2024 My taxi ride there from Central Jakarta took 45 minutes. Joe Mathews, The Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2024 Nearly 240 people showed up for a memorial ride on Feb. 25, the anniversary of the crash. The Arizona Republic, 16 Mar. 2024 Steinke still had a zest for life at 100, but ran out of time to accomplish a recent goal — to go for a ride in a hot air balloon. Molly Guthrey, Twin Cities, 15 Mar. 2024 In an adorable video shared by Ciara via Instagram Stories on Wednesday (March 13), the quarterback focuses hard on balancing a capsule of the singer’s breast milk delicately in his hands while on a bumpy car ride. Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 14 Mar. 2024 The result was a soulful and at times comedic ride through his life but viewed through a hip-hop lens. Kyle Eustice, SPIN, 13 Mar. 2024 Rider switch is available at select attractions so parents and guardians can take turns staying with kids who may not meet the height requirement or want to ride the ride, while the rest of the party enjoys it. Eve Chen, USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2024 Officers found that the red ride had been shipped to Japan shortly after being stolen. Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 4 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ride.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English rīdan; akin to Old High German rītan to ride, Middle Irish réidid he rides

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun

1708, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ride was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near ride

Cite this Entry

“Ride.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ride. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

ride

1 of 2 verb
rode ˈrōd How to pronounce ride (audio) ; ridden ˈrid-ᵊn How to pronounce ride (audio) ; riding ˈrīd-iŋ How to pronounce ride (audio)
1
a
: to go or be carried along on an animal's back or on or in a vehicle (as a boat, automobile, or airplane)
b
: to sit on and control so as to be carried along
ride a bicycle
2
a
: to be supported and usually carried along by
a surfboard rides the waves
b
: to float at anchor
c
: to remain afloat through : survive
ride out a storm
3
a
: carry entry 1 sense 1
rode the child on my back
b
: to travel over a surface
the car rides well
4
b
: oppress sense 2
ridden by fears
5
: to depend on something

ride

2 of 2 noun
1
: an act of riding
especially : a trip on horseback or by vehicle
a ride in the country
2
: a mechanical device (as at an amusement park) for riding on
3
: a means of transportation
needs a ride to work

Biographical Definition

Ride

biographical name

Sally Kristen 1951–2012 American astronaut

More from Merriam-Webster on ride

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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