# ripe

/ˈɹaɪp/ (US) · /ɹˈaɪp/ (UK)

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

## Senses

### 1. fruit or food

adjective · CEFR B1

ready to be picked or eaten.

For teachers: having reached a state of full development and readiness for consumption or harvesting.

- The peaches are finally ripe and smell wonderful.
- The farmer waited until the grapes were perfectly ripe before beginning the harvest to ensure the highest sugar content for the wine.

### 2. ready for action

adjective · CEFR B2

ready for something to happen, or at the right time for a change.

For teachers: fully developed or prepared for a particular action, treatment, or effect.

- The country was ripe for a change in leadership after the long crisis.
- Market conditions were ripe for a new competitor to enter the industry and challenge the established monopolies.

### 3. smelly

adjective · CEFR C1 · Informal

having a very strong and unpleasant smell.

For teachers: characterised by a strong, pungent, or disagreeable odour.

- His gym bag was a bit ripe after sitting in the hot car all day.
- The air in the locker room was decidedly ripe, thick with the scent of damp towels and old athletic gear.

### 4. legal readiness

adjective · CEFR C2 · Technical · Formal

ready to be decided by a court of law.

For teachers: referring to a case that is ready for adjudication because the facts have developed sufficiently.

- The judge decided the case was not yet ripe for a final decision.
- The appellate court dismissed the claim, ruling that the dispute was not yet ripe for judicial intervention as the administrative remedies had not been exhausted.

Usage: Usually used in the phrase 'ripe for review' or 'ripe for adjudication'.

### 5. advanced age

adjective · CEFR B2

used to describe a very old age in a respectful way.

For teachers: referring to an advanced age, typically in the idiomatic expression 'a ripe old age'.

- My grandfather lived to the ripe old age of ninety-five.
- Having maintained an active lifestyle, she reached the ripe age of ninety with her mental faculties entirely intact.

## Examples

- The bananas are yellow and ripe enough to eat.
- Wait until the tomatoes are bright red and slightly soft, as they are only truly ripe when they pull away from the vine easily.
- The political climate was ripe for reform, as years of economic stagnation had left the public eager for any significant structural change.

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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.