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   ripe

   /rʌɪp/

   adjective

   • 1. (of fruit or grain) developed to the point of readiness for harvesting and eating: "a ripe tomato" Similar matureripenedfully developedfull grownready to eatsoftlushjuicytenderluscioussweetfull-flavouredmellowOpposite unripegreen
   • ▪ (of a cheese or wine) fully matured: "a ripe Brie"
   • ▪ (of a smell or flavour) rich, intense, or pungent: "rich, ripe flavours emanate from this wine"
   • 2. having arrived at the fitting stage or time for a particular action or purpose): "land ripe for development" Similar readyfitsuitablerightopportuneadvantageousfavourableauspiciouspropitiouspromisingheaven-sentgoodrightfortunatebenignprovidentialfelicitouswell timedconvenientexpedientsuitableappropriateaptfittingarchaic:seasonableOpposite unreadyunsuitableunsuitable
   • ▪ full of: "a population ripe with discontent"
   • 3. (of a person's age) advanced: "she lived to a ripe old age" Similar advancedhoaryvenerableoldOpposite youngearly
   • 4. (of a female fish or insect) ready to lay eggs or spawn: "ripe females will stop and spawn with one or more males"
   • 5. (of a person's language) beyond the bounds of propriety; coarse: informal "I think my language may have been a little ripe outside the church"

   Word Origin Old Englishrīpe, of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch rijp and German reif.

   Derivatives

   • 1. ripely adverb
   • 2. ripeness noun

   Scrabble Points: 6

   • R

     1

   • I

     1

   • P

     3

   • E

     1

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