# ridden

/ˈɹɪdən/ (US) · /ɹˈɪdən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/ridden
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. past participle of ride

verb · CEFR B1

the form of 'ride' used with 'have' or 'has'.

For teachers: the past participle of the irregular verb 'ride'.

- She has ridden her bicycle to work every day this week.
- Having ridden across the entire continent on a vintage motorcycle, he felt uniquely qualified to write about the changing landscape of the interior.

### 2. full of or plagued by

adjective · CEFR B2

used in word combinations to show that something is full of a bad thing.

For teachers: used as a combining form to indicate being dominated, harassed, or plagued by the specified noun.

- The old house was ghost-ridden and falling apart.
- The politician's guilt-ridden conscience eventually led him to make a full public confession regarding the campaign finances.

Usage: Always used as a suffix in compound adjectives like 'guilt-ridden' or 'disease-ridden'.

## Examples

- The old house was ridden with pests.
- After years of neglect, the local government was ridden with corruption and inefficiency.
- The protagonist's journey is a tragic one, as he remains ridden with anxiety about a past he can neither change nor fully remember.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.