ripple
1 of 2verb
rip·ple ˈri-pəl 
rippled; rippling ˈri-p(ə-)liŋ
intransitive verb
1
a
: to become lightly ruffled or covered with small waves
b
: to flow in small waves
c
: to fall in soft undulating folds
the scarf rippled to the floor
2
: to flow with a light rise and fall of sound or inflection
laughter rippled over the audience
3
: to move with an undulating motion or so as to cause ripples
the canoe rippled through the water
4
: to have or produce a ripple effect : spread
the news rippled outwards
transitive verb
1
: to stir up small waves on
2
: to impart a wavy motion or appearance to
rippling his arm muscles
3
: to utter or play with a slight rise and fall of sound
rippler
ˈri-p(ə-)lər
noun ripple
2 of 2noun
1
a
: a shallow stretch of rough water in a stream
b(1)
: the ruffling of the surface of water
(2)
: a small wave
2
a
: ripple mark
b
: a sound like that of rippling water
a ripple of laughter
c
: a usually slight noticeable effect or reaction
ripply
ˈri-p(ə-)lē
adjective 
Synonyms
Verb
- bubble
- dribble
- guggle
- gurgle
- lap
- plash
- splash
- trickle
- wash
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Verb Water rippled under the dock. We could see the lion's muscles ripple. A cool breeze rippled the water. Noun The pebble made ripples in the pond when I threw it in.
Recent Examples on the Web
Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 20 July 2022 Concerns have mounted that the war and the sanctions inflicted by the West will ripple across the European continent, stunting growth while inflationary pressures rise. Caitlin Mccabe, WSJ, 6 Mar. 2022 China’s deflating property bubble is imperiling the world’s second-largest economy with effects that could ripple for years. Rebecca Feng, WSJ, 11 Aug. 2022 Kanan Stark is long dead, and the prequel takes place too far in the past to ripple through the present-day storyline. Kate Aurthur, Variety, 11 Aug. 2022 The search marked an escalation of the Justice Department’s investigation into aspects of Mr. Trump’s final days in office and is expected to ripple through the run-up to November’s midterm elections. Sadie Gurman, WSJ, 9 Aug. 2022 Phil Ashley/Getty Images Discontent started to ripple through Amazon’s largest UK warehouse as soon as details of a bump in hourly pay flashed onto screens around the facility on Wednesday. Wired, 5 Aug. 2022 Diners had no idea that Greupner, the man in the cap and workout clothes, already knew what was about to ripple through the restaurant. San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Aug. 2022 Increases in the federal funds rate tend to ripple through the credit markets, including long-term loans such as mortgages. Los Angeles Times, 27 July 2022 Hillary Kelly, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2022 Another ripple of the Watson trade, which netted the Texans five draft picks, including three first-rounders, was the departure of Baker Mayfield after a divisive four-year run in Cleveland that included the Browns' first playoff win since 2002. Fox News, 26 Aug. 2022 Joe Garcia, the husband of one of the teachers, had collapsed that morning from a heart attack — an early ripple of the collateral devastation that would be stirred by the massacre. Rick Rojas, BostonGlobe.com, 29 May 2022 Two, even a ripple could flip the House and Senate; Republicans don’t need a wave to take control of either chamber. Ben Kamisar, NBC News, 24 Aug. 2022 Not only is the ice cream here among the best in the area – catch the lemon meringue with fresh lemon and marshmallow ice creams swirled with a tart lemon ripple for a limited time – but the customer service is hard to match. Cheryl V. Jackson, The Indianapolis Star, 14 July 2022 Joe Garcia, the husband of one of the teachers, had collapsed that morning from a heart attack — an early ripple of the collateral devastation that would be stirred by the massacre. Rick Rojas, BostonGlobe.com, 29 May 2022 Solana, ripple and ether prices have also slumped as investors move out of cryptocurrency, which is highly volatile, into more stable assets. Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 19 July 2022 Of course, there was a ripple of oohs and aahs and some laughter from the crowd. Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2022 See More
Verb
One major group in time-travel thought relies on multiple universes, meaning that decisions ripple into different versions of the universe. Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 20 July 2022 Concerns have mounted that the war and the sanctions inflicted by the West will ripple across the European continent, stunting growth while inflationary pressures rise. Caitlin Mccabe, WSJ, 6 Mar. 2022 China’s deflating property bubble is imperiling the world’s second-largest economy with effects that could ripple for years. Rebecca Feng, WSJ, 11 Aug. 2022 Kanan Stark is long dead, and the prequel takes place too far in the past to ripple through the present-day storyline. Kate Aurthur, Variety, 11 Aug. 2022 The search marked an escalation of the Justice Department’s investigation into aspects of Mr. Trump’s final days in office and is expected to ripple through the run-up to November’s midterm elections. Sadie Gurman, WSJ, 9 Aug. 2022 Phil Ashley/Getty Images Discontent started to ripple through Amazon’s largest UK warehouse as soon as details of a bump in hourly pay flashed onto screens around the facility on Wednesday. Wired, 5 Aug. 2022 Diners had no idea that Greupner, the man in the cap and workout clothes, already knew what was about to ripple through the restaurant. San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Aug. 2022 Increases in the federal funds rate tend to ripple through the credit markets, including long-term loans such as mortgages. Los Angeles Times, 27 July 2022 Noun
Characters float among chatting groups at parties without making a ripple. Hillary Kelly, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2022 Another ripple of the Watson trade, which netted the Texans five draft picks, including three first-rounders, was the departure of Baker Mayfield after a divisive four-year run in Cleveland that included the Browns' first playoff win since 2002. Fox News, 26 Aug. 2022 Joe Garcia, the husband of one of the teachers, had collapsed that morning from a heart attack — an early ripple of the collateral devastation that would be stirred by the massacre. Rick Rojas, BostonGlobe.com, 29 May 2022 Two, even a ripple could flip the House and Senate; Republicans don’t need a wave to take control of either chamber. Ben Kamisar, NBC News, 24 Aug. 2022 Not only is the ice cream here among the best in the area – catch the lemon meringue with fresh lemon and marshmallow ice creams swirled with a tart lemon ripple for a limited time – but the customer service is hard to match. Cheryl V. Jackson, The Indianapolis Star, 14 July 2022 Joe Garcia, the husband of one of the teachers, had collapsed that morning from a heart attack — an early ripple of the collateral devastation that would be stirred by the massacre. Rick Rojas, BostonGlobe.com, 29 May 2022 Solana, ripple and ether prices have also slumped as investors move out of cryptocurrency, which is highly volatile, into more stable assets. Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 19 July 2022 Of course, there was a ripple of oohs and aahs and some laughter from the crowd. Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Verb
perhaps frequentative of rip entry 1
First Known Use
Verb
circa 1671, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a
Noun
1755, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Phrases Containing ripple
Kids Definition
ripple 1 of 2
verb
rip·ple ˈri-pəl
rippled; rippling
1
: to move or cause to move in small waves
The lion's muscles rippled.
A breeze rippled the water.
2
: to pass or spread over or through
Laughter rippled through the crowd.
ripple
2 of 2noun
1
: a very small wave on the surface of a liquid
The rock made ripples in the pond.
2
: something that passes or spreads through
a ripple of laughter
ripples 1 of 2
verb
as in splashes
to flow in a broken irregular stream water rippling gently over the tiers of the fountain Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- splashes
- bubbles
- washes
- swirls
- trickles
- drips
- gurgles
- eddies
- laps
- dribbles
- plashes
- rushes
- guggles
- purls
- swooshes
- swishes
- drops
- jets
- spurts
- squirts
- gushes
- swashes
- spouts
- whishes
- spews
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- streams
- rolls
- runs
- pours
ripples
2 of 2noun
1
as in warbles
Synonyms & Similar Words
- warbles
- trills
- chirrs
- pings
- rattles
- clinks
- tinkles
- clangs
- jangle
- ding-dongs
- clanks
- clatters
- rings
- chinks
- chimes
- tintinnabulations
- jingles
2
as in fallouts
Synonyms & Similar Words
- fallouts
- repercussions
- blowbacks
- echoes
- side effects
- offshoots
- aftershocks
- ramifications
- byproducts
- effects
- afterglows
- implications
- echos
- by-products
- spin-offs
- side reactions
- precipitates
- consequences
- backwashes
- denouements
- issues
- afterclaps
- developments
- results
- aftermaths
- aftereffects
- outcomes
- outgrowths
- dénouements
- fruits
- corollaries
- products
- sequels
- children
- fates
- resultants
- sequences
- upshots
- conclusions
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- causes
- factors
- reasons
- considerations
- antecedents
- determinants
- occasions
- foundations
- causations
- grounds
- stimuli
- incentives
- springs
- bases
- roots
- sources
- mothers
- inspirations
- origins
- impetuses
- groundworks
- instigations
3
as in wavelets
Synonyms & Similar Words
- wavelets
- curls
- riffles
- waves
- whitecaps
- seas
- combers
- tsunami
- tsunamis
- rollers
- breakers
- tidal waves
- ground swells
- surges
- billows
- swells
- surfs