ride

[ rahyd ]
See synonyms for ride on Thesaurus.com
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.

  1. to move or float on the water: the surfboarders riding on the crests of the waves.

  2. 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.

  3. to have a specified character for riding purposes: The car rides smoothly.

  4. to be conditioned; depend (usually followed by on): All his hopes are riding on getting that promotion.

  5. Informal. to continue without interruption or interference: He decided to let the bet ride.

  6. to be carried on something, as a litter, a person's shoulders, or the like.

  7. to work or move up from the proper place or position (usually followed by up): Her skirt rode up above her knees.

  8. to extend or project over something, as the edge of one thing over the edge of another thing.

  9. to turn or rest on something: the great globe of the world riding on its axis.

  10. to appear to float in space, as a heavenly body: A blood-red moon rode in the cloudless sky.

  11. 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.

  1. to ride over, along, or through (a road, boundary, region, etc.); traverse.

  2. to ridicule or harass persistently: The boys keep riding him about his poor grades.

  3. to control, dominate, or tyrannize over: a man ridden by fear; a country that is ridden by a power-mad dictator.

  4. to cause to ride.

  5. to carry (a person) on something as if on a horse: He rode the child about on his back.

  6. to execute by riding: to ride a race.

  7. to rest on, especially by overlapping.

  8. to keep (a vessel) at anchor or moored.

  9. 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.

  1. the vehicle used for transportation: I've got to hang up now—my ride's here.

  2. a vehicle or device, as a Ferris wheel, roller coaster, or merry-go-round, on which people ride for amusement.

  3. a way, road, etc., made especially for riding.

Verb Phrases
  1. ride out,

    • to sustain (a gale, storm, etc.) without damage, as while riding at anchor.

    • to sustain or endure successfully.

Idioms about ride

  1. ride down,

    • to trample or overturn by riding upon or against.

    • to ride up to; overtake; capture: The posse rode down the escaping bank robber.

    • 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.

  1. ride herd on. herd1 (def. 6).

  2. ride shotgun. shotgun (def. 11).

  3. ride the beam, Aeronautics. to fly along the course indicated by a radio beam.

  4. take for a ride, Slang.

    • to murder, especially by abducting the victim for that purpose.

    • to deceive; trick: It was obvious to everyone but me that I was being taken for a ride.

Origin of ride

1
First recorded before 900; 1915–20 for def. 17; Middle English riden (verb), Old English rīdan; cognate with Old Frisian rīda, German reiten, Old Norse rītha; akin to Old Irish ríad “journey” (cf. palfrey, rheda)

synonym study For ride

2. See drive.

Words Nearby ride

Other definitions for Ride (2 of 2)

Ride
[ rahyd ]

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use ride in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ride

ride

/ (raɪd) /


verbrides, riding, rode or ridden
  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)

  1. (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

  2. (tr) to travel over or traverse: they rode the countryside in search of shelter

  3. (tr) to take part in by riding: to ride a race

  4. to travel through or be carried across (sea, sky, etc): the small boat rode the waves; the moon was riding high

  5. (tr) US and Canadian to cause to be carried: to ride someone out of town

  6. (intr) to be supported as if floating: the candidate rode to victory on his new policies

  7. (intr) (of a vessel) to lie at anchor

  8. (tr) (of a vessel) to be attached to (an anchor)

  9. (esp of a bone) to overlap or lie over (another structure or part)

  10. Southern African informal

    • (intr) to drive a car

    • (tr) to transport (goods, farm produce, etc) by motor vehicle or cart

  11. (tr) (of a male animal) to copulate with; mount

  12. (tr) slang to have sexual intercourse with (someone)

  13. (tr; usually passive) to tyrannize over or dominate: ridden by fear

  14. (tr) informal to persecute, esp by constant or petty criticism: don't ride me so hard over my failure

  15. (intr) informal to continue undisturbed: I wanted to change something, but let it ride

  16. (tr) to endure successfully; ride out

  17. (tr) to yield slightly to (a blow or punch) in order to lessen its impact

  18. (intr often foll by on) (of a bet) to remain placed: let your winnings ride on the same number

  19. (intr) jazz to play well, esp in freely improvising at perfect tempo

  20. ride roughshod over to domineer over or act with complete disregard for

  21. ride to hounds to take part in a fox hunt on horseback

  22. ride for a fall to act in such a way as to invite disaster

  23. ride again informal to return to a former activity or scene of activity

  24. 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

  1. transport in a vehicle, esp when given freely to a pedestrian; lift: can you give me a ride to the station?

  2. a device or structure, such as a roller coaster at a fairground, in which people ride for pleasure or entertainment

  3. slang an act of sexual intercourse

  4. slang a partner in sexual intercourse

  5. take for a ride informal

    • to cheat, swindle, or deceive

    • to take (someone) away in a car and murder him

Origin of ride

1
Old English rīdan; related to Old High German rītan, Old Norse rītha

Derived forms of ride

  • ridable or rideable, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with ride

ride

In addition to the idioms beginning with ride

  • ride for a fall
  • ride hellbent for leather
  • ride herd on
  • ride high
  • ride out
  • ride roughshod over
  • ride shotgun
  • ride up

also see:

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

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.