ripen

verb

rip·​en ˈrī-pən 

ˈrī-pᵊm

ripened; ripening ˈrī-pə-niŋ 

ˈrīp-niŋ

intransitive verb

: to grow or become ripe

transitive verb

1

: to make ripe

2

a

: to bring to completeness or perfection

b

: to age or cure (cheese) to develop characteristic flavor, odor, body, texture, and color

c

: to improve flavor and tenderness of (beef or game) by aging under refrigeration

ripener

ˈrī-pə-nər 

ˈrīp-nər

noun

Synonyms

• grow
• progress

Examples of ripen in a Sentence

The tomatoes finished ripening on the windowsill.

You can ripen the fruit by placing it in a paper bag and storing it at room temperature for a few days.

Recent Examples on the Web

Conditions are ripening for such unconventional thoughts. —Hussein Agha, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025

Other names — which make more sense to parts of the country and the world that don’t have sturgeon fish — include harvest moon, moon of the ripening, grain moon, green corn moon, black cherries moon and plum moon. —Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2025

Figs do not ripen off the tree, so don’t pick them early. —Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Aug. 2025

While that point may be ideal, anything below the normal room temp in your home (which is likely significantly warmer than 54 degrees at this time of year) will still help delay ripening. —Caroline Tien, SELF, 22 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Kids Definition

ripen

verb

rip·​en ˈrī-pən 

ripened; ripening ˈrīp-(ə-)niŋ 

: to make or become ripe