ride
- 01 A1 Beginner
v.to sit on and control a horse, bicycle, or motorcycle.
v.to sit on and control the movement of an animal or a two-wheeled vehicle. Ambitransitive use.
Simple“She learned to ride a bike when she was only five years old.”
In context“The scouts spent the afternoon riding their horses through the narrow mountain passes before setting up camp.”
- 02 A2 Elementary
v.to travel as a passenger in a car, bus, or train.
v.to be transported in a vehicle as a passenger. Often used with 'in' or 'on'.
Simple“I usually ride the bus to work because parking is too expensive.”
In context“During the transit strike, thousands of commuters had to find alternative ways to ride into the city center.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to depend or rely on something for success.
v.to depend or rely on a specific factor or outcome. Usually followed by 'on' or 'upon'.
Simple“A lot of hopes are riding on the success of this new project.”
In context“The company's entire future was riding on the outcome of the merger negotiations, leaving the staff in a state of high anxiety.”
- 04 C1 Advanced
v.to annoy someone by constantly criticizing them or telling them what to do.
v.to harass, nag, or criticize someone persistently. Transitive; informal in register.
Simple“My boss has been riding me all week about that report.”
In context“The coach continued to ride the players throughout the practice, hoping the pressure would improve their performance before the finals.”
- 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.when a piece of clothing moves up your body and becomes uncomfortable.
v.of a garment: to move upward out of its proper position while being worn. Often used with the particle 'up'.
Simple“This skirt is too tight and keeps riding up when I walk.”
In context“He found the cheap suit uncomfortable, as the jacket sleeves tended to ride up whenever he reached for his briefcase.”
- 06 A2 Elementary
n.a journey made on a horse, bike, or in a vehicle.
n.an instance of being carried in a vehicle or on an animal.
Simple“It is a long bus ride from the airport to the hotel.”
In context“The scenic train ride through the Alps offered breathtaking views that justified the high cost of the ticket.”
- 07 A2 Elementary
n.a free trip in someone else's car.
n.a journey given to a person in another's vehicle, typically without charge.
Simple“Can you give me a ride to the station tomorrow morning?”
In context“After his car broke down, he had to ask his neighbor for a ride to the grocery store every Saturday.”
Synonyms - 08 A2 Elementary
n.a large machine at a fair, like a roller coaster, that people sit on for fun.
n.a mechanical device or structure at an amusement park or fair designed for entertainment.
Simple“The children wanted to go on the water ride at the theme park.”
In context“The park's newest ride features a vertical drop that attracts thrill-seekers from across the country.”
Synonyms - 09 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a person's car or other vehicle.
n.a person's motor vehicle. Informal register; common in American English.
Simple“That is a very cool ride you have parked in the driveway.”
In context“He spent most of his weekends cleaning and polishing his ride to ensure it looked perfect for the local car show.”
- 10 C1 Advanced
n.a person who is very good-looking.
n.a person perceived as sexually attractive. Dialectal usage specific to Ireland.
Simple“Everyone in the pub thought the new barman was a total ride.”
In context“In local slang, she was described as a ride, though the term is rarely used in formal Irish contexts.”
- 11 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a long and exciting or difficult experience.
n.a period of time characterized by intense, fluctuating, or challenging experiences. Figurative use.
Simple“The last four years in this job have been quite a ride.”
In context“The startup's journey from a garage to a multi-million dollar exit was a wild ride for everyone involved.”
Synonyms
From Middle English riden, from Old English rīdan, from Proto-West Germanic rīdan, from Proto-Germanic rīdaną (“to ride”), from Proto-Indo-European Hreydʰ- (“to ride”), from h₃reyH- (“to move”), from *h₃er- (“to move, stir”). Cognates From Proto-Germanic: North Frisian ride, ridj, rir (“to ride”), West Frisian ride (“to ride”), Dutch rijden, ryden (“to ride; to drive”), German reiten, reuten (“to ride”), German Low German rieden (“to ride; to drive”), Limburgish rieje (“to ride; to drive”), Luxembourgish reiden (“to ride”), Vilamovian raeita, rajta (“to ride”), Danish ride (“to ride”), Faroese and Icelandic ríða (“to ride”), Norwegian Bokmål ri, ride (“to ride”), Norwegian Nynorsk ri, rida, ride (“to ride”), Swedish rida (“to ride”). From Indo-European: Cornish ardh (“height”), Irish arad, ard, árd (“high, tall”), Manx ard (“high, tall”), Scottish Gaelic àrd (“high”), Welsh ardd (“hill, upland”), Latin irrītō (“to excite, incite, stimulate; to exasperate”), Ancient Greek ὀρῑ́νω (orī́nō, “to move, stir”), Albanian rashë (“to have fallen; to have flopped”), Russian ре́ять (réjatʹ, “to fly, hover, soar”), Armenian հառնել (haṙnel, “to get up; to rise up”), Northern Kurdish rîtin (“to shit”), Persian ریدن (ridan, “to shit; to fuck up, to screw up”), Tocharian A ar- (“to evoke; to produce, yield”), Tocharian B er- (“to evoke; to produce, yield”), Hittite 𒅈𒉡𒊻𒍣 (ar-nu-uz-zi, “to address, send”), Sanskrit रीति (rīti, “course, motion; current, stream; line, row”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.