rid
Part of speech: verb
Morphological type: simple
Etymology: The verb is derived from Middle English ridden (“to remove debris, obstructions, etc., from (a place), to clear; to complete (something unfinished); to free (someone or something); to relieve (someone); etc.”), probably from Old English *ryddan (“to remove debris, obstructions, etc., from (a place), to clear”) (the past participle form ġeryd is attested), from Proto-Germanic *riudijaną (“to clear”), from Proto-Indo-European *Hrewdʰ- (“to clear land”), or possibly from *Hrew- (“to dig out, tear out; to open; to acquire”). The verb was probably also influenced by the following:
* Middle English redden (“to rescue (someone), deliver, save; to rid (someone) of a burden; to free (someone)”) (from which redd (obsolete except Northern England, Scotland) is partly derived), from Old English hreddan (“to deliver, rescue, save; to free; to recover; to take away”), from Proto-West Germanic *hraddjan (“to rescue, save”), from Proto-Germanic *hradjaną (“to rescue, save; to free; to loosen”), possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kret- (“to move quickly; to rattle; to shake”); and
* Middle English reden (“to arrange; to get ready, prepare; to put in order, tidy; to remove debris, obstructions, etc., from (a place), to clear; to unblock; etc.”) (whence rede (chiefly Scotland, archaic)), from Old English rǣdan, Early Old English rēdan, from Proto-West Germanic *raidijan (“to arrange”), from Proto-Germanic *raidijaną (“to arrange”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂rey- (“to arrange; to count, count out”).
The adjective is derived from rid, the past participle of the verb. The noun is derived from the verb.
As regards noun etymology 1, noun sense 1 (“progress which has been made; speed”), compare verb etymology 1, verb sense 1.4.5 (“to complete or get through (a task, or work)”).
cognates
* Dutch redden (“to save, deliver”)
* German retten (“to save, deliver”), reuten (“to clear”), roden (“to clear”)
* Old Frisian hredda (“to save”)
* Old Norse hrōðja (“to clear, strip”), Old Norse ryðja (“to clear, empty”)
Inflected forms:
form: rids
pos: verb
tags: present
singular
third-person
form: ridding
pos: verb
tags: participle
present
form: rid
pos: verb
tags: past
form: ridded
pos: verb
tags: past
form: rid
pos: verb
tags: participle
past
form: ridded
pos: verb
tags: participle
past
form: ridden
pos: verb
tags: nonstandard
participle
past
rare
form: no-table-tags
pos: verb
tags: table-tags
form: glossary
pos: verb
tags: inflection-template
form: rid
pos: verb
tags: infinitive
form: rid
pos: verb
tags: first-person
present
singular
form: rid
pos: verb
tags: first-person
past
singular
form: ridded
pos: verb
tags: first-person
past
singular
form: rid
pos: verb
tags: present
second-person
singular
form: riddest
pos: verb
tags: archaic
present
second-person
singular
form: rid
pos: verb
tags: past
second-person
singular
form: ridded
pos: verb
tags: past
second-person
singular
form: riddedst
pos: verb
tags: archaic
past
second-person
singular
form: rids
pos: verb
tags: present
singular
third-person
form: riddeth
pos: verb
tags: archaic
present
singular
third-person
form: rid
pos: verb
tags: past
singular
third-person
form: ridded
pos: verb
tags: past
singular
third-person
form: rid
pos: verb
tags: plural
present
form: rid
pos: verb
tags: past
plural
form: ridded
pos: verb
tags: past
plural
form: rid
pos: verb
tags: present
subjunctive
form: rid
pos: verb
tags: past
subjunctive
form: ridded
pos: verb
tags: past
subjunctive
form: rid
pos: verb
tags: imperative
present
form: -
pos: verb
tags: imperative
past
form: ridding
pos: verb
tags: participle
present
form: rid
pos: verb
tags: participle
past
form: ridded
pos: verb
tags: participle
past
Senses:
gloss: Followed by of: to free (oneself or someone, or a place) from an annoyance or hindrance.
pos: verb
tags: also
reflexive
transitive
examples: I’m glad to be rid of that stupid nickname.
We’re trying to rid the world of poverty.
Than thou madeſt heuẽ [heaven] free and rydde from all rebellion⸝ […]
If I coulde conuenyently rydde me of this felowe I wolde go with you wͭ [with] all my herte: […]
[John the Baptist's disciples] myſtooke John too haue been the Meſſias. John to the intent too rid his diſciples of this errour, ſendeth them to Chryſt, too enquire of hym whether hée were the very Meſſias, or whether ſome other were ſtyll too bée looked for: […]
[W]ould I haue giuen him the beſt horſe in Padua to begin his vvoing that vvould thoroughly vvoe her, vved her, and bed her, and ridde the houſe of her.
[T]he Godly folke ſhall flocke about mee, and ſhall not ſtint to giue thee [God] thankes, vvhen they ſee that thou riddeſt mee foorth of their daungers, to the high praiſe of thy name, […]
But vvhom thou hat'ſt, I hate, and can put on / Thy terrors, as I put thy mildneſs on, / Image of thee in all things; and ſhall ſoon, / Armed vvith thy might, rid heav'n of theſe rebell'd, / To thir prepar'd ill Manſion driven dovvn / To chains of Darkneſs, and th' undying VVorm, […]
Thus Satan ridded his Hands of ten of the tvvelve Tribes [of Israel]; […]
I am therefore setting out for Ireland; and it is one comfort to me, that I am ridding you of a troublesome companion.
[I]f you put the Lavvs in Execution, as you ought to do, you vvould ſoon rid the Country of theſe Vermin.
By her old friends ſhe is no longer very vvilling to be ſeen, but ſhe muſt not rid herſelf of them all at once; […]
On each of these days he saw Colonel Askerton, whom he found to be a civil pleasant man, willing enough to rid himself of the unpleasant task he had undertaken, but at the same time, willing also to continue his services if any further services were required of him.
"A curse on the cowardly varlets I have about me," said the King [Henry II of England], "who have left me so long exposed to his [Thomas Becket's] insolence. Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?"
If the Government believes that part of the railways' salvation is to be found in ridding them of extraneous concerns, it should have had the courage either to close the railway works down as quickly as possible, or to hive them off as an entirely separate concern, […]
All the billions in the world and Manchester City still cannot rid themselves of the most persistent thorn in their side.
gloss: Followed by away, from, or out of: to remove (oneself or someone, or something, that is annoying, troublesome, or unwanted).
pos: verb
tags: also
reflexive
transitive
examples: For the nature of the world is ſuch, that if any man rebuke the wickedneſſe thereof any thing ſharply, it ſéekes to rid them out of the way, too the intent it may ſinne the more licentiouſly.
The waye to rydde this vyle diſeaſe and miſchiefe, is to beſtowe vpon the infected place, a medicine made of Gumme Dragaganthe, foure ownces, infuſed in the ſtrongeſt Uyneger that may bee gotten, by the ſpace of eyght dayes: […]
[G]old he vvill giue her, / Theſe vvill I make induction to her ruine, / And rid ſhame from my houſe, griefe from my heart […]
[I]ndeed I began ſincerely to hate my ſelf for a Dog, a VVretch that had been a Thief, and a Murtherer; […] I vvent about vvith my Heart full of theſe Thoughts, little better than a diſtracted Fellovv; in ſhort, running headlong into the dreadfulleſt Deſpair, and premeditated nothing but hovv to rid my ſelf out of the VVorld; […] nothing lay upon my Mind for ſeveral Days, but to ſhoot my ſelf into the Head vvith my Piſtol.
Worst of all though were the leeches. The soldiers had managed to rid them from the camp interiors, but once you ventured out on patrol and into the wetlands, they were everywhere.
gloss: Often followed by from, of, or out of: to free or release, or to rescue or save, (oneself or someone, or something).
pos: verb
tags: reflexive
transitive
examples: [Y]f there happen a plage of leproſy in any houſe of youre poſſeſſion, then ſhal he that ow[n]eth the houſe, come and tell the preſt, and ſaye: Methynke there is as it were a plage of leproſy in my houſe. Then ſhal the preſt commaunde to rydde all thynge out of the houſe or euer the preſt go in to ſe yͤ plage, leſt all that is in the houſe be made vncleane.
Thou haſt hither to had many councels of them, ſo let the heauengaſers & the beholders of ſtarres, come on now and delyuer the: yea and let thẽ ſhewe, when theſe new thinges ſhall come vpon the. Beholde, they ſhalbe like ſtrawe, which yf it be kindled with fyre, no man maye rydde it for the vehemence of the flame: […]
Then comes ſhe [Juliet] to me [Friar Laurence], / And vvith vvild lookes bid me deuiſe ſome meane / To rid her from this ſecond mariage: / Or in my Cell there vvould ſhe kill her ſelfe.
We passed a large jaguar, glaring fiercely at a calf ten feet from him; […] Had we powder to waste, we would certainly have rid the graminivorous from many of their carnivorous neighbours, but we were now entering a tract of country celebrated for the depredations of the Texians and Buggles free bands, and every charge of powder thrown away was a chance the less, in case of a fight.
gloss: To clear (a place or way); especially, to clear (land) of trees, undergrowth, etc.
pos: verb
tags: archaic
transitive
examples: The vvaies […] Trajanius repaired, by paving vvith stone, or raiſing vvith banks caſt up ſuch peeces of them as vvere moiſt and miry; by ſtocking up & ridding ſuch as vvere rough and overgrovven vvith buſhes and briers: […]
gloss: Sometimes followed by away: to destroy or kill (someone).
pos: verb
tags: archaic
transitive
examples: This Gloſter ſhould be quickly rid the VVorld, / To rid vs from the feare vve haue of him.
The furious Tybalt caſt an enuious thruſt [of the rapier], / That rid the life of ſtout Mercutio.
gloss: Sometimes followed by up: to remove obstacles or refuse from (a place); to clean, to clear out; specifically, to clear or empty (the stomach).
pos: verb
tags: archaic
transitive
examples: Come, lads, drink up your ale, and we'll just rid this corner, so as to have all clear for beginning at the wall as soon as 'tis light to-morrow.
gloss: Followed by up: to eradicate (something); to root out, to uproot.
pos: verb
tags: archaic
transitive
gloss: Sometimes followed by away or off: to complete or get through (a task, or work).
pos: verb
tags: Shropshire
archaic
transitive
examples: I Rydde buſyneſſe that I haue in hande I do it quyckly⸝ […] He is a quicke workeman he can rydde more worke in an houre than ſome can do in twayne: […]
[T]he Printer, in one day ſhall rid / More Books, then yerſt a thouſand VVrighters did.
[I]t vvas great Aduantage, in the Ancient States of Sparta, Athens, Rome, and others, that they had the vſe of Slaues, vvhich commonly did rid thoſe Manufactures. But that is aboliſhed, in greateſt part, by the Chriſtian Lavv.
[T]he VVheel ridds VVork faſter off than the Pole can do: becauſe the ſpringing up of the Pole makes an intermiſſion in the running about of the VVork, but vvith the VVheel the VVork runs alvvays the ſame vvay; […]
gloss: Often followed by up: to put (a place, such as a room or a table) in order; to clear, to tidy.
pos: verb
tags: US
rare
regional
transitive
examples: VVhen you rid up the Parlour Hearth in a Morning, throvv the laſt Night's Aſhes into a Sieve; and vvhat falls through, as you carry it dovvn, vvill ſerve inſtead of Sand for the Room and the Stairs.
The four breakfasted by the thin light, and the ‘house-ridding’ was taken in hand.
gloss: To dismiss (someone) who has attended on a person; (reflexive) to remove (oneself) from a person's presence after attending to them.
pos: verb
tags: obsolete
transitive
examples: We be able ynough to rydde vs of this mater without the [thee]: […]
[A] Judge riddeth a perſone aunſweryng before hym to the lawe at the barre.
gloss: To settle (a disagreement).
pos: verb
tags: obsolete
transitive
examples: They [constables] ought to Rid Frays, and ſeek the Neighbours to aſſiſt for ſeparating the parties; and ſuch as hurt them may be puniſhed by the Juſtices.
gloss: Followed by of: to deprive (oneself or someone) of something; to strip.
pos: verb
tags: also
obsolete
reflexive
transitive
examples: [Parradio] Reſolude to ſlay the Prince, / And ridde him of his lyfe: […]
gloss: To get away from or get out of (a place); to escape.
pos: verb
tags: obsolete
rare
transitive
examples: But if I my Cage can rid, / I'le flye vvhere I neuer did.
gloss: To clear land or some other place.
pos: verb
tags: archaic
intransitive
gloss: To clear or empty the stomach; also, to clear the throat.
pos: verb
tags: West-Midlands
archaic
intransitive
gloss: Of work: to be completed.
pos: verb
tags: Northern-England
intransitive
obsolete
examples: The Huntsman now calls in his Houndes, and at the fall of the Deere the Hornes goe apace: Now beginne the Horses to breathe, and the Labourer to sweat, and with quicke hands, worke rids apace: […]
Derived words: be rid of
get rid of
red
riddance
ridder
ridding
rid out
rid up
unrid
uprid
Translations: