Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
🍌 To get too ripe 🍌 To make too ripe
to overripen

to overripen

5.1
To become too ripe and lose freshness
  • verb
  • /ˌoʊvərˈaɪpən/
translation icon : madurar en exceso
  • Don't let the bananas overripen!

Examples

  • The cheese began to overripen, developing a strong smell and unusual texture.

  • Sometimes an idea can overripen and lose its original impact or freshness.

  • If you leave the fruit in the sun too long, it will overripen and become mushy.

  • Don't overripen those avocados!

  • If avocados overripen, they become mushy and lose their flavor.

  • You should use the pears before they overripen and spoil.

  • Bananas can overripen if left out too long, turning brown and soft.

How Ripe

to rot
156 1.4
to overripen
5.1
to ripen
15 2.9
unripe
3 2.7

Surface Forms

overripen infinitive
overripening present participle
overripens third person singular
overripe past
overripe past participle

Morphology

overripen = ripen (transparent) = over + ripen + ripe

The prefix 'over-' clearly indicates an excess or beyond the normal state, combined with 'ripen' to indicate becoming too ripe.

Etymology

Overripen comes from the parts over- meaning 'too much' and ripen meaning 'to become ready to eat', so it gives a simple picture: fruit left too long 'becomes too ripe' and loses its freshness or turns soft.