ride
verb · noun
Simple meaning
Be carried or travel on or in a vehicle.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
rydIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈɹaɪd
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
verb
ambitransitive
Be carried or travel on or in a vehicle
“I ride to work in a bus.”
ambitransitive
To be transported in a vehicle; to travel as a passenger.
ambitransitive
Sit on and control a vehicle
“He rides his bicycle to work every day.”
ambitransitive
To transport oneself by sitting on and directing a horse, later also a bicycle etc.
transitiveintransitive
To be carried or supported by something lightly and quickly; to travel in such a way, as though on horseback.
intransitive
Of a ship: to sail, to float on the water.
noun
An instance of riding.
uk
A road or avenue cut in a wood, for riding; a bridleway or other wide country path.
figurative
A wild, bewildering experience of some duration.
A type of cymbal, the function of which is to maintain a steady rhythmic pattern.
informal
A lift given to someone in another person's vehicle.
An amusement ridden at a fair or amusement park.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- A2 · Elementary
- Frequency
- Common
- Typical Use
- Everyday English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: Be carried or travel on or in a vehicle
Used this way, ride is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
“I ride to work in a bus.”
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- No strong connotation
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Usage note
It most often appears in the pattern “ride to …”, which is worth copying when you use it.
Natural pattern: ride to …
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
How It’s Used
The word’s distinct uses, one example each.
Carried / transportedverb
“I ride to work in a bus.”
Sitverb
“He rides his bicycle to work every day.”
More ways to use ride
- “I ride to work in a bus.”verb
- “He rides his bicycle to work every day.”verb
Share your sentence
Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Inflected forms
Grammatical variations of the same word.
A traveler who actively rides an animal (as a horse or camel).
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
Driving animals such as horses and cattle while riding along with them.
Ride on horseback.
Ride away on a horse, for example.
Hang on during a trial of endurance.
Treat inconsiderately or harshly.
Be out of the game.
Related Words
Connected to the same idea, not synonyms.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Use This Word
See how this word sounds in a real sentence.
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Use it yourself
Knowing “ride” starts when you use it. Pick a next step, all free.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.