What does ripest mean?
Ripest is the superlative form of the adjective ripe, meaning more ripe than something else and therefore at the highest degree of maturity, readiness, or edibility. It is often used with fruit, vegetables, crops, and other foods: a peach may be described as the ripest in a basket, while a field may be ready for harvest when its grain is ripest. The word can also carry a figurative sense meaning the most favorable or opportune time for action, as in “the ripest moment to invest.” Although “ripest” clearly identifies a comparison, it does not always require an explicit second item; the context usually makes clear whether the comparison is among a group or between two possibilities. As a verb form, ripest is occasionally used in the rare third-person singular sense of “ripen,” but the adjective is by far the usual modern use.
The most ripe; at the highest degree of maturity, readiness, or favorability.
"Choose the ripest avocados for the salad."
The figurative sense, meaning most favorable or opportune, is less common than the literal sense.
Third-person singular present of ripen, meaning to become ripe.
"The fruit ripest slowly in the warm sunlight."
This form is uncommon in modern English and is chiefly encountered in literary or older usage.
In a fruit bowl, ripest means ready to eat; in a discussion of timing, it can mean the moment to act.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does ripest come from?
Ripest is formed from ripe by adding the English superlative suffix -est. The adjective ripe descends from Old English rīpe, with close Germanic relatives in German reif and Dutch rijp. The modern word thus combines an inherited English adjective with the productive superlative ending used to express the highest degree of a quality.
How ripest is actually used
Ripest is most commonly used in literal contexts involving food, fruit, crops, or color. Its figurative use for the most suitable or favorable time is established but less frequent.
Easily confused with ripest
Ripest is the superlative adjective meaning 'most ripe' or 'most favorable,' whereas ripen is a verb meaning 'to become mature.'