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REFERENCE

ride

v. · n.
US //ˈɹaɪd// UK //ɹˈaɪd// ride
Irregular verb past rode past participle ridden
  1. 1 horse or bicycle (v.)
    A1 Beginner

    to sit on and control a horse, bicycle, or motorcycle.

    to sit on and control the movement of an animal or a two-wheeled vehicle. Ambitransitive use.

    Example

    She learned to ride a bike when she was only five years old.

    Example

    The scouts spent the afternoon riding their horses through the narrow mountain passes before setting up camp.
    • dismount
  2. 2 passenger in a vehicle (v.)
    A2 Elementary

    to travel as a passenger in a car, bus, or train.

    to be transported in a vehicle as a passenger. Often used with 'in' or 'on'.

    Example

    I usually ride the bus to work because parking is too expensive.

    Example

    During the transit strike, thousands of commuters had to find alternative ways to ride into the city center.
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  1. 3 to depend on (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to depend or rely on something for success.

    to depend or rely on a specific factor or outcome. Usually followed by 'on' or 'upon'.

    Example

    A lot of hopes are riding on the success of this new project.

    Example

    The company's entire future was riding on the outcome of the merger negotiations, leaving the staff in a state of high anxiety.
  2. 4 to criticize or nag (v.)
    C1 Advanced Informal

    to annoy someone by constantly criticizing them or telling them what to do.

    to harass, nag, or criticize someone persistently. Transitive; informal in register.

    Example

    My boss has been riding me all week about that report.

    Example

    The coach continued to ride the players throughout the practice, hoping the pressure would improve their performance before the finals.
  3. 5 clothing moving up (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    when a piece of clothing moves up your body and becomes uncomfortable.

    of a garment: to move upward out of its proper position while being worn. Often used with the particle 'up'.

    Example

    This skirt is too tight and keeps riding up when I walk.

    Example

    He found the cheap suit uncomfortable, as the jacket sleeves tended to ride up whenever he reached for his briefcase.
  4. 6 a trip or journey (n.)
    A2 Elementary

    a journey made on a horse, bike, or in a vehicle.

    an instance of being carried in a vehicle or on an animal.

    Example

    It is a long bus ride from the airport to the hotel.

    Example

    The scenic train ride through the Alps offered breathtaking views that justified the high cost of the ticket.
  5. 7 a free lift (n.)
    A2 Elementary

    a free trip in someone else's car.

    a journey given to a person in another's vehicle, typically without charge.

    Example

    Can you give me a ride to the station tomorrow morning?

    Example

    After his car broke down, he had to ask his neighbor for a ride to the grocery store every Saturday.
  6. 8 amusement park machine (n.)
    A2 Elementary

    a large machine at a fair, like a roller coaster, that people sit on for fun.

    a mechanical device or structure at an amusement park or fair designed for entertainment.

    Example

    The children wanted to go on the water ride at the theme park.

    Example

    The park's newest ride features a vertical drop that attracts thrill-seekers from across the country.
  7. 9 a vehicle (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Informal American English

    a person's car or other vehicle.

    a person's motor vehicle. Informal register; common in American English.

    Example

    That is a very cool ride you have parked in the driveway.

    Example

    He spent most of his weekends cleaning and polishing his ride to ensure it looked perfect for the local car show.
  8. 10 an attractive person (n.)
    C1 Advanced Informal Dialect Slang

    a person who is very good-looking.

    a person perceived as sexually attractive. Dialectal usage specific to Ireland.

    Example

    Everyone in the pub thought the new barman was a total ride.

    Example

    In local slang, she was described as a ride, though the term is rarely used in formal Irish contexts.
  9. 11 a wild experience (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    a long and exciting or difficult experience.

    a period of time characterized by intense, fluctuating, or challenging experiences. Figurative use.

    Example

    The last four years in this job have been quite a ride.

    Example

    The startup's journey from a garage to a multi-million dollar exit was a wild ride for everyone involved.
Origin

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”).

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