rip

I. rip¹ S3 /rɪp/ BrE AmE verb (past tense and past participle ripped, present participle ripping)
[Date: 1300-1400; Origin: Probably from Flemish rippen 'to tear off roughly']
1. [intransitive and transitive] to tear something or be torn quickly and violently:
Her clothes had all been ripped.
The sails ripped under the force of the wind.
Impatiently, Sue ripped the letter open.
2. [transitive always + adverb/preposition] to remove something quickly and violently, using your hands
rip something out/off/away/down
Gilly ripped out a sheet of paper from her notebook.
The buttons had been ripped off.
3. rip something/somebody to shreds
a) to destroy something or damage it badly by tearing it in many places:
Jill’s kitten is ripping her sofa to shreds.
b) informal to strongly criticize someone, or criticize their opinions, remarks, behaviour etc:
I expected to have my argument ripped to shreds.
4. [transitive] to copy music from a CD to an ↑MP3 player or computer
5. let rip informal to speak or behave violently or emotionally:
Fran took a slow deep breath, then let rip, yelling and shouting at him.
6. let it/her rip informal to make a car, boat etc go as fast as it can:
Put your foot on the gas and let her rip!
rip something ↔ apart phrasal verb
to tear or pull something to pieces:
He was ripped apart by savage beasts in the forest.
rip somebody/something ↔ off phrasal verb informal
1. to charge someone too much money for something SYN overcharge:
The agency really ripped us off.
2. to steal something:
Somebody had come in and ripped off the TV and stereo.
3. to take words, ideas etc from someone else’s work and use them in your own work as if they were your own ideas SYN plagiarize
⇨ ↑rip-off(2)
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ tear to damage paper or cloth by pulling it too hard, or letting it touch something sharp: She unwrapped the present carefully, trying not to tear the paper. | I tore a hole in my jacket, climbing over the fence.
▪ rip to tear something quickly or violently: Beth excitedly ripped open the package. | Stop pulling my dress! You’ll rip it!
▪ split to tear your trousers or shirt when you put them on, because they are too tight for you: He bent down and split his trousers. | Oh no, now I’ve split my shirt.
▪ ladder British English if a woman ladders her ↑tights or STOCKINGS, she tears them so that a long thin line appears in them: Damn! I’ve laddered my tights!
▪ snag to catch a piece of clothing on something rough or sharp so that it tears slightly: I snagged my shirt on a nail.
▪ shred to deliberately destroy letters, documents etc by cutting them into thin pieces, often by using a special machine: In order to prevent fraud, it’s best to shred your bank statements. | I went through all my papers shredding things I didn’t need.
▪ frayed torn a little along the edges – used about clothes, carpets etc that have been used a lot: He was wearing an old pair of frayed jeans. | The rug was a little frayed around the edges. | The jacket was a little frayed at the cuffs.
rip on somebody/something phrasal verb American English informal
to complain a lot about someone or something
rip through something phrasal verb
to move through a place quickly and with violent force:
A wave of bombings ripped through the capital’s business district.
rip something ↔ up phrasal verb
to tear something into pieces:
Sue ripped his photo up into tiny bits.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

rip

rip [rip rips ripped ripping] verb, noun [rɪp] [rɪp]

verb (-pp-)
1. transitive, intransitive to tear sth or to become torn, often suddenly or violently
• ~ (sth) I ripped my jeans on the fence.
• The flags had been ripped in two.
• The nail ripped a hole in my jacket.
• I heard the tent rip.

• ~ sth + adj. She ripped the letter open.

2. transitive ~ sth + adv./prep. to remove sth quickly or violently, often by pulling it
• He ripped off his tie.
• The carpet had been ripped from the stairs.

• Half of the house was ripped away in the explosion.

3. transitive ~ sth (computing) to copy sound or video files from a website or CD on to a computer

4. (computing) = rasterize
more at tear/rip the heart out of sth at heart, tear/rip sb limb from limb at limb

Word Origin:
v. and n. sense 1 late Middle English reap
n. sense 2 late 18th cent. rip

Example Bank:
• A huge fire ripped through the factory.
• He ripped open the plastic bag.
• I ripped my coat on a nail.
• The dog had ripped a cushion to shreds.
• The hounds fell on the fox and ripped it apart.
• He ripped up the letter.
• She'll rip you to pieces if you try to keep her cub from her.
• The flag had been ripped in two
• countries ripped apart by fighting
Idioms: let rip ▪ let something rip ▪ rip somebody to to bits

Derived: rip at something ▪ rip into somebody ▪ rip somebody off ▪ rip something off ▪ rip something up

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition

rip / rɪp / verb ( -pp- ) (TEAR)

B2 [ I or T ] to pull apart; to tear or be torn violently and quickly:

His new trousers ripped when he bent down.

I ripped my shirt on a nail.

[ + obj + adj ] She excitedly ripped the parcel open .

The wind ripped the flag to/into shreds (= into little pieces) .

C1 [ T + adv/prep ] to remove something quickly, without being careful:

I wish the old fireplaces hadn't been ripped out .

We ripped up the carpets and laid a new wooden floor.

rip / rɪp / verb [ T ] ( -pp- ) (COPY)

to copy pictures or sounds from a CD or DVD onto a computer:

How do I rip a DVD movie to my hard drive?

Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

rip

/rɪp/
(rips, ripping, ripped)

1.
When something rips or when you rip it, you tear it forcefully with your hands or with a tool such as a knife.
I felt the banner rip as we were pushed in opposite directions...
I tried not to rip the paper as I unwrapped it.
= tear
VERB: V, V n

2.
A rip is a long cut or split in something made of cloth or paper.
Looking at the rip in her new dress, she flew into a rage.
= tear
N-COUNT

3.
If you rip something away, you remove it quickly and forcefully.
He ripped away a wire that led to the alarm button...
He ripped the phone from her hand.
= tear
VERB: V n with adv, V n prep

4.
If something rips into someone or something or rips through them, it enters that person or thing so quickly and forcefully that it often goes completely through them.
A volley of bullets ripped into the facing wall...
= tear
VERB: V prep/adv

5.
If you let rip, you do something forcefully and without trying to control yourself. (INFORMAL)
Turn the guitars up full and let rip...
PHRASE: let inflects

6.
If you let something rip, you do it as quickly or as forcefully as possible. You can say ‘let it rip’ or ‘let her rip’ to someone when you want them to make a vehicle go as fast as it possibly can.
The ecological disaster is partly a product of letting everything rip in order to increase production.
PHRASE: let inflects

rip off

If someone rips you off, they cheat you by charging you too much money for something or by selling you something that is broken or damaged. (INFORMAL)
The Consumer Federation claims banks are ripping you off by not passing along savings on interest rates...
The airlines have been accused of ripping off customers.

PHRASAL VERB: V n P, V P n (not pron)

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

¹rip /ˈrɪp/ verb rips; ripped; rip·ping
1 a [+ obj] : to tear, split, or open (something) quickly or violently
• She ripped the fabric in half.
• He ripped open the package.
• The dog ripped the pillow to shreds/pieces.
• The dog ripped a hole [=made a hole] in the pillow.
• The force of the explosion ripped a hole in the wall.
b [no obj] : to become torn or split
• Her coat ripped when it caught on the doorknob.
• The seam has ripped.
2 always followed by an adverb or preposition [+ obj] : to remove (something) quickly or violently
• I ripped the poster off the wall.
• The sink had been ripped from the wall.
• He ripped the page out of the magazine.
• She ripped off her mask.
• He ripped the letter from my hands.
3 [no obj] : to go or move very quickly through or into something
• The fire ripped through the forest.
• an epidemic that ripped through the region
• The bullet ripped into her leg.
4 [+ obj] : to criticize (someone or something) in a very harsh or angry way
• (US) The coach ripped [=ripped into] his team for their sloppy play.
• His latest movie was ripped to shreds/pieces by the critics.
let rip informal
1 : to do something in a way that is full of anger or energy
• For the concert finale, the band let rip with a fantastic version of the song that made them famous.
• I don't think anyone expected the senator to let rip at the press conference like that. [=to speak in such an angry way]
2 let (something) rip : to make (a car, boat, machine, etc.) go very fast - usually used in phrases like let it rip and let her/'er rip
• Once we got the boat out into the open water, we let it rip.
rip apart [phrasal verb]
1 rip (something) apart or rip apart (something) : to completely destroy (something) by tearing it into pieces
• The child ripped the toy apart.
• Strong winds had ripped apart many of the little beach bungalows.
- often used figuratively
• a tragedy/scandal that almost ripped the family apart
2 rip (someone or something) apart or rip apart (someone or something) : to criticize (someone or something) in a very harsh or angry way especially by describing weaknesses, flaws, etc.
• Critics ripped the author's latest novel apart.
• an article that rips apart the mayor's plan
rip into [phrasal verb] rip into (someone or something) : to criticize (someone or something) in a very harsh or angry way
• The coach ripped into [=tore into] the team after the game.
• She ripped into the band's last performance.
rip off [phrasal verb] informal
1 rip (someone) off or rip off (someone) : to steal from or cheat (someone)
• Hundreds of people were ripped off in a scam involving two people who claimed to be collecting money for disaster victims.
• The store had been ripping customers off for years.
• I wasn't trying to rip you off. I thought $50 was a fair price.
2 rip (something) off or rip off (something)
a : to steal (something)
• The organization's treasurer ripped off almost $6,000 before being caught.
• Somebody ripped off [=stole] all our equipment. = All our equipment got ripped off. [=stolen]
b disapproving : to copy or imitate (something) improperly : to make something that is too much like (something made by someone else)
• The film has done well, but its makers have been accused of ripping off another movie made 30 years ago.
- see also rip-off
rip up [phrasal verb] rip (something) up or rip up (something) : to completely destroy (something) by tearing it into pieces
• He ripped up the letter.