rid
pronunciation
How to pronounce rid in British English:
UK [rɪd]
How to pronounce rid in American English:
US [rɪd]
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- Verb:
- relieve from
Word Origin
- rid
- rid: [13] The verb rid was borrowed from Old Norse rythja, ancestor of modern Swedish rödja, Danish rydde, and Norwegian rydja. This in turn went back to a prehistoric Germanic *rudjan. Its past participle rid has been used in the context be rid of, get rid of since the 15th century. Riddance is a 16th-century English coinage.
- rid (v.)
- c. 1200, "clear (a space); set free, save," from a Scandinavian source akin to Old Norse ryðja (past tense ruddi, past participle ruddr) "to clear (land) of obstructions," from Proto-Germanic *reudijan (cognates: Old High German riuten, German reuten "to clear land," Old Frisian rothia "to clear," Old English -royd "clearing," common in northern place names), from PIE root *reudh- "to clear land." The general sense of "to make (something) free (of something else)" emerged by 1560s. Senses merged somewhat with Northern English, Scottish, and U.S. dialectal redd. To get rid of (something or someone) is from 1660s. Related: Ridden; ridding.
Example
- 1. Officials were happy to be rid of them .
- 2. How shall I rid myself of fear ?
- 3. You are lucky to be rid of her .
- 4. Getting rid of stress may be easier than you think .
- 5. How can you rid yourself of what you cling to ?