rid
/rɪd/ (bre, ipa) · /rɪd/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈrid/ (ame, mw)
rid — adjective
- ridpositive
- riddercomparative
- riddestsuperlative
1. in the state of no longer having an unwanted person, task, or object that was ca
in the state of no longer having an unwanted person, task, or object that was causing you trouble or worry.
After paying off the loan, the Chen family was finally rid of that heavy debt.
be rid of + noun phrase for unwanted things
Gita felt relieved to be rid of her noisy old refrigerator at last.
be rid of with felt + adjective
The town is now rid of the pollution that had bothered residents for years.
Hannah was glad to be rid of her weekend job at the cafe.
Once the garden was rid of weeds, Mateo planted vegetables along the fence.
- burdened by
the opposite state of having an unwanted load
- troubled by
focuses on the continuing presence of a problem
文法句型
be + rid + of + noun phrase
用法筆記
Predicative only — never used before a noun (e.g. 'a rid person' is wrong). This sense only appears in 'be rid of' or similar copular constructions.
常見錯誤
rid — verb
- ridpresent simple I / you / we / they
- ridshe / she / it
- ridding-ing form
1. to remove and throw away something you no longer want or need, such as old objec
to remove and throw away something you no longer want or need, such as old objects, waste, or stains.
Daichi decided to get rid of the old newspapers piled up in the garage.
get rid of + unwanted objects
Stefan got rid of his broken phone and bought a second-hand one instead.
The restaurant got rid of the spoiled ingredients before anyone could use them.
Bilal finally got rid of the rust stains on his favourite kitchen knife.
It took three washes to get rid of the smell of smoke from the curtains.
- throw away
more direct and physical; 'throw away' implies literally discarding into a bin
- dispose of
more formal; 'dispose of' is common in written instructions and official contexts
- remove
wider meaning; 'remove' does not necessarily imply discarding — you might remove something to another place
- keep
to continue to have something rather than discarding it
- hold on to
phrasal verb meaning to keep something deliberately
文法句型
get + rid + of + noun phrase
rid + oneself + of + noun phrase
用法筆記
This is the most common sense of 'rid', appearing almost exclusively in 'get rid of'. The object can be a physical item (old furniture, rubbish) or something abstract (a smell, a stain). The more formal variant 'rid oneself of' is also possible but much less frequent in everyday speech.
常見錯誤
2. to sell or give away an old possession that you no longer want, especially to ma
to sell or give away an old possession that you no longer want, especially to make space or raise money.
Sirin got rid of her collection of vintage comic books at the weekend market.
get rid of by selling
Ryo got rid of his old motorcycle through an online selling platform.
Nkechi helped her aunt get rid of the furniture she no longer used.
The library got rid of hundreds of old books by donating them to local schools.
Before moving abroad, Jude got rid of most of his belongings.
文法句型
get + rid + of + noun phrase (possession)
用法筆記
Distinguish from DISCARD (sense verb/1): SELL OFF implies the object has value to someone else — you sell, donate, or give it away. If the item is simply thrown in the bin, use verb sense 1 instead.
常見錯誤
3. to make an annoying or unwanted person leave your home, workplace, or group, so
to make an annoying or unwanted person leave your home, workplace, or group, so that they no longer bother you.
The manager got rid of the employee who kept arriving late to work.
get rid of = fire/dismiss
Nila tried to get rid of the door-to-door salesperson politely.
The school got rid of the bully after many complaints from parents.
Eitan got rid of the persistent caller by blocking the number on his phone.
Defne got rid of the stray cat by calling the local animal rescue centre.
文法句型
get + rid + of + person
用法筆記
When used of a person, 'get rid of' can sound harsh or rude. In a workplace context it often means 'fire/dismiss'. For more neutral alternatives, consider 'ask someone to leave', 'send away', or 'dismiss'.
常見錯誤
4. to make yourself free from something that causes problems, unhappiness, or harm,
to make yourself free from something that causes problems, unhappiness, or harm, such as a bad habit, a fear, or a negative situation.
Caio worked hard to rid himself of his fear of public speaking.
rid oneself of + fear / negative trait
Sivan struggled for years to rid herself of the habit of biting her nails.
rid oneself of + habit
The organization tried to rid itself of its reputation for being untrustworthy.
It took months of therapy for Asher to rid himself of his nightmares.
Noa could not rid herself of the guilt she felt after the argument.
- free oneself from
similar meaning but slightly less formal; 'free oneself from' can be used in a wider range of structures
- shake off
informal; 'shake off' is used for habits, illnesses, or reputations but not for physical objects
- overcome
focuses on the effort and success; 'overcome' is used for fears, problems, or obstacles
文法句型
rid + oneself + of + noun phrase
用法筆記
This is the only sense where 'rid' appears without 'get' — in the reflexive pattern 'rid oneself of'. It is noticeably more formal than 'get rid of' and is common in written or formal speech. The subject is often a person (ridding themselves of a habit, fear, or guilt) or an organization (ridding itself of a problem).