Definition

1. Noun:

   • A tear or split in a material: A long cut or opening in something like fabric, paper, or skin, often caused by forceful tearing.
   • A stretch of turbulent water: An area of rough, churning water in a river or sea, often caused by conflicting currents or tides.
   • A dissolute or immoral person: (Informal) A person who lives in a wild, irresponsible, or immoral way.

2. Verb:

   • To tear something quickly or violently: To pull or tear something apart or away with force, often causing a sharp sound.
   • To move very quickly and forcefully: To go or proceed with great speed and energy, often in a destructive or uncontrolled manner.
   • To criticize someone harshly: To attack or denounce someone verbally with great intensity.
   • To cut or split wood along its grain: To saw or split wood in the direction of its natural grain.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • There was a long rip in the canvas of the tent.
  • The swimmers were warned about the dangerous rip near the shore.
  • He was known around town as a bit of a rip.

• Verb:

  • She accidentally ripped her dress on a nail.
  • The sports car ripped along the empty highway.
  • The critic ripped the author's new novel in the newspaper review.
  • To make the planks, they first rip the logs with a saw.

Advanced Usage

• "to let it rip": To allow something to proceed or operate at full speed, power, or intensity without restraint.
  • When the road was clear, he let the engine rip.
• "to rip into someone/something": To criticize or attack someone or something verbally with great force and anger.
  • The manager ripped into the team for their poor performance.

Variants and Related Words

• Ripped (adj): (Informal) Having well-defined muscles; very muscular.
  • He works out every day to stay ripped.
• Rip-off (n): (Informal) Something that is grossly overpriced; a fraud or swindle.
  • Fifty dollars for that shirt? What a rip-off!
• Ripcord (n): A cord pulled to open a parachute.
• Riptide (n): Another term for a dangerous current or "rip" in the water.

Synonyms

• Tear (v): To pull apart or into pieces.
• Rend (v): (Literary) To tear something into pieces violently.
• Shred (v): To tear or cut into small strips.
• Scoundrel (n): A dishonest or unscrupulous person (similar to the noun form meaning a dissolute person).

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Rip apart:
  • To tear something into pieces.

    • The dog ripped the pillow apart.
  • To cause severe emotional distress or conflict.

    • The scandal ripped the family apart.
• Rip off:
  • To tear something away by force.

    • He ripped off the bandage.
  • (Informal) To steal from someone or charge them far too much money.

    • The taxi driver tried to rip me off.
• Rip out:
  • To remove something by tearing it violently.

    • They had to rip out the old carpet.
  • To utter something suddenly and forcefully.

    • He ripped out a string of curses.

Related Idioms

• Let her rip: An instruction to start something or allow it to proceed at full speed.
  • Everything's ready. Start the engine and let her rip!
• Rip to shreds: To criticize something very severely or thoroughly.
  • The committee ripped his proposal to shreds.

Noun

1. the act of rending or ripping or splitting something
   • he gave the envelope a vigorous rip
2. a stretch of turbulent water in a river or the sea caused by one current flowing into or across another current
3. an opening made forcibly as by pulling apart
   • there was a rip in his pants
   • she had snags in her stockings
4. a dissolute man in fashionable society

Verb

1. criticize or abuse strongly and violently
   • The candidate ripped into his opponent mercilessly
2. cut (wood) along the grain
3. move precipitously or violently
   • The tornado ripped along the coast
4. tear or be torn violently
   • The curtain ripped from top to bottom
   • pull the cooked chicken into strips