ride

¹

[ rahyd ]

verb (used without object)

, rode or (Archaic) rid; rid·den or (Archaic) rid; rid·ing.

1. to sit on and manage a horse or other animal in motion; be carried on the back of an animal.
2. to be borne along on or in a vehicle or other kind of conveyance.
3. to move or float on the water:

   the surfboarders riding on the crests of the waves.

4. to move along in any way; be carried or supported:

   He is riding along on his friend's success. Distress is riding among the people.

5. to have a specified character for riding purposes:

   The car rides smoothly.

6. to be conditioned; depend (usually followed by on ):

   All his hopes are riding on getting that promotion.

7. Informal. to continue without interruption or interference:

   He decided to let the bet ride.

8. to be carried on something, as a litter, a person's shoulders, or the like.
9. to work or move up from the proper place or position (usually followed by up ):

   Her skirt rode up above her knees.

10. to extend or project over something, as the edge of one thing over the edge of another thing.
11. to turn or rest on something:

    the great globe of the world riding on its axis.

12. to appear to float in space, as a heavenly body:

    A blood-red moon rode in the cloudless sky.

13. to lie at anchor, as a ship.

verb (used with object)

, rode or (Archaic) rid; rid·den or (Archaic) rid; rid·ing.

1. to sit on and manage (a horse, bicycle, etc.) so as to be carried along.
2. to sit or move along on (something); be carried or borne along on:

   The ship rode the waves. We ride a bus.

3. to ride over, along, or through (a road, boundary, region, etc.); traverse.
4. to ridicule or harass persistently:

   The boys keep riding him about his poor grades.

5. to control, dominate, or tyrannize over:

   a man ridden by fear; a country that is ridden by a power-mad dictator.

6. to cause to ride.
7. to carry (a person) on something as if on a horse:

   He rode the child about on his back.

8. to execute by riding:

   to ride a race.

9. to rest on, especially by overlapping.
10. to keep (a vessel) at anchor or moored.
11. Jazz. to play improvisations on (a melody).

noun

1. a journey or excursion on a horse, camel, etc., or on or in a vehicle.
2. a means of or arrangement for transportation by motor vehicle:

   We'll handle rides to be sure everyone gets home quickly.

3. the vehicle used for transportation:

   I've got to hang up now—my ride's here.

4. a vehicle or device, as a Ferris wheel, roller coaster, or merry-go-round, on which people ride for amusement.
5. a way, road, etc., made especially for riding.

verb phrase

1. 1. to sustain (a gale, storm, etc.) without damage, as while riding at anchor.
   2. to sustain or endure successfully.

Ride

²

[ rahyd ]

noun

1. Sally, 1951–2012, U.S. astronaut and astrophysicist: first U.S. woman to reach outer space 1983.

ride

/ raɪd /

verb

1. to sit on and control the movements of (a horse or other animal)
2. tr to sit on and propel (a bicycle or similar vehicle)
3. intr; often foll by on or in to be carried along or travel on or in a vehicle

   she rides to work on the bus

4. tr to travel over or traverse

   they rode the countryside in search of shelter

5. tr to take part in by riding

   to ride a race

6. to travel through or be carried across (sea, sky, etc)

   the moon was riding high

   the small boat rode the waves

7. tr to cause to be carried

   to ride someone out of town

8. intr to be supported as if floating

   the candidate rode to victory on his new policies

9. intr (of a vessel) to lie at anchor
10. tr (of a vessel) to be attached to (an anchor)
11. (esp of a bone) to overlap or lie over (another structure or part)
12. informal.
    1. intr to drive a car
    2. tr to transport (goods, farm produce, etc) by motor vehicle or cart
13. tr (of a male animal) to copulate with; mount
14. slang.
    tr to have sexual intercourse with (someone)
15. tr; usually passive to tyrannize over or dominate

    ridden by fear

16. informal.
    tr to persecute, esp by constant or petty criticism

    don't ride me so hard over my failure

17. informal.
    intr to continue undisturbed

    I wanted to change something, but let it ride

18. tr to endure successfully; ride out
19. tr to yield slightly to (a blow or punch) in order to lessen its impact
20. introften foll byon (of a bet) to remain placed

    let your winnings ride on the same number

21. intr jazz to play well, esp in freely improvising at perfect tempo
22. ride roughshod over
    to domineer over or act with complete disregard for
23. ride to hounds
    to take part in a fox hunt on horseback
24. ride for a fall
    to act in such a way as to invite disaster
25. ride again informal.
    to return to a former activity or scene of activity
26. riding high
    confident, popular, and successful

noun

1. a journey or outing on horseback or in a vehicle
2. a path specially made for riding on horseback
3. transport in a vehicle, esp when given freely to a pedestrian; lift

   can you give me a ride to the station?

4. a device or structure, such as a roller coaster at a fairground, in which people ride for pleasure or entertainment
5. slang.
   an act of sexual intercourse
6. slang.
   a partner in sexual intercourse
7. take for a ride informal.
   1. to cheat, swindle, or deceive
   2. to take (someone) away in a car and murder him

Derived Forms

• ˈridable, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of ride¹

First recorded before 900; 1915–20 ride fordef 17; Middle English riden (verb), Old English rīdan; cognate with Old Frisian rīda, German reiten, Old Norse rītha; akin to Old Irish ríad “journey” ( palfrey, rheda )

Word History and Origins

Origin of ride¹

Old English rīdan ; related to Old High German rītan , Old Norse rītha

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. ride down,
   1. to trample or overturn by riding upon or against.
   2. to ride up to; overtake; capture:

      The posse rode down the escaping bank robber.

   3. Nautical. to bear down upon (a rope of a tackle) with all one's weight.
2. ride for a fall, to conduct oneself so as to invite misfortune or injury.
3. ride the beam, Aeronautics. to fly along the course indicated by a radio beam.
4. take for a ride, Slang.
   1. to murder, especially by abducting the victim for that purpose.
   2. to deceive; trick:

      It was obvious to everyone but me that I was being taken for a ride.

5. ride herd on. herd ¹( def 6 ).
6. ride shotgun. shotgun ( def 11 ).

More idioms and phrases containing ride

• along for the ride
• go along (for the ride)
• gravy train, ride the
• hitch a ride
• let ride
• take someone for a ride

Synonym Study

See drive.

Example Sentences

When Trump comes riding six white horses as he gallops back into the White House, he will have a young, inexperienced adult known for bombast speaking for him.

From Salon

If the oil is used in fuel or other materials, the diketone molecules go along for the ride, which is a problem.

From Science Daily

It’s the latest sign that investors may be growing more demanding of the world’s most valuable public company and others that have ridden the artificial intelligence boom to stratospheric valuations.

From New York Times

And it’s been the ride of a lifetime, really and truly.

From Los Angeles Times

After the 2020 crash she worked with a psychologist to get her confidence back to ride in a race.

From BBC

Related Words

• drive
• excursion
• expedition
• jaunt
• outing
• tour
• transportation

More About Ride

What is a basic definition of ride?

Ride is a verb that means to sit on the back of a moving animal or to travel in or on a vehicle, like a car. A ride is a journey made on an animal or using a vehicle. Ride has many other senses as a verb and a noun.

When someone rides an animal, they are usually sitting on the animal’s back while it moves. In general, the word ride is used even if the animal is uncooperative or is trying to get rid of the person sitting on them. The person sitting on the animal is called a rider. Its past tenses are rode and ridden.

• Real-life examples: Horses are the most common animal that people ride. Cowboys attempt to ride angry bulls at rodeos. In many Asian countries, people ride camels.
• Used in a sentence: I like to ride horses with my mom.

In a similar sense, ride is used to mean to travel using a vehicle. This can include a vehicle you stand or sit on, like a bicycle.

• Real-life examples: People ride bikes, motorcycles, and skateboards. Airplanes, submarines, boats, cars, trains, buses, and subway cars are vehicles that people ride in.
• Used in a sentence: Grant rides the subway to get to work.

A ride is also the journey or trip you take on an animal or using a vehicle. This sense of ride is also used figuratively to mean any journey or experience that a person has embarked on.

• Real-life examples: Petting zoos often offer pony rides to children. A trip from Tokyo to Berlin would be a long ride, no matter what kind of vehicle you used. People who are afraid of heights probably won’t be fans of airplane rides.

• Used in a sentence: My college years were a wild ride.

Where does ride come from?

The first records of ride come from before the 900s. It comes from the Old English verb rīdan. It is related to similar words with the same meaning, such as the Old Frisian rīda, the German reiten, and the Old Norse rītha.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to ride?

• rider (noun)
• ridable; rideable (adjective)

What are some synonyms for ride?

• travel
• go
• drive
• journey
• expedition
• excursion

What are some words that share a root or word element with ride? 

• rider
• ride down
• ride up
• ride out
• ride shotgun
• ride roughshod over

What are some words that often get used in discussing ride?

• animal
• vehicle
• mount
• horse
• car
• bus
• amusement park
• roller coaster

How is ride used in real life?

Ride is a very common word that most often means to travel on the back of an animal or to travel on or in a vehicle.

Who would have thought, one month ago, that I would be here after finishing my 11th Dakar on a row and in P17. Many days I could not ride at my normal pace, but I can assure you that this has been a great personal victory! Thanks to the team, the sponsors and every single
+ pic.twitter.com/f6mGs9fUQX

— Laia Sanz (@LaiaSanz_) January 15, 2021

I'm riding the bus and a whole grip of climate protestors just got on.

It's pretty clear they never ride the bus, which is pretty ironic when you think about it.

— Lawrence Sonntag (@SirLarr) September 20, 2019

I am about to board a train for a long ride so if anyone has a dramatic reason to halt me at the platform do it now before I spend the next five hours wistfully staring out the window

— JP (@jpbrammer) February 2, 2020

Try using ride!

Which of the following is a person most likely to ride?

A. bench
B. horse
C. road
D. shower