free ride
37
4.2
- noun
- /fri raɪd/
- Informal
:
viaje gratis (literal)
- Who wants to tell them that their free ride is slowing down and coming to an end?
- get a free ride
- give a free ride
Wish I had a free ride, wish I was lucky.
- Wish I had a free ride, wish I was lucky.
- Sapio, you got the one of the ten highest scores in your math SAT and we're going to give you a free ride to Rutgers Engineering School.
Examples
-
The poor, elderly, and disabled are not getting a free ride in this country, I assure you.
Blog text (17) -
What defendant has ever been given such a free ride at a murder trial?
Academic text (2017) -
Hey, you have got a free ride to a top school.
-
So does that free ride still stand?
-
And he offers me a free ride.
-
If you can't pay for college, at least you can help her get a free ride.
Fiction book (1991) -
Uber and Lyft are both going to offer everyone free rides to and from vaccination sites.
-
I gave you shelter, food, and free rides on Yappy's carousel.
Fiction book (1997) -
Sapio, you got the one of the ten highest scores in your math SAT and we're going to give you a free ride to Rutgers Engineering School.
-
The festival provided free rides on the Ferris wheel for all attendees.
Synonyms
19
2.8
An item given free at events or to advertise a product
17
4.2
Something offered without obvious cost but that often has hidden costs
11
3.4
A ticket that lets someone enter a place without paying
Antonyms
How Costly
Surface Forms
Morphology
The literal sense 'a trip provided without charge' is directly and transparently derived from 'free' (without charge) + 'ride' (a trip), so a B1 learner who knows both words will understand that meaning. However, the extended figurative sense ('an undeserved benefit or advantage without effort or responsibility') is a metaphorical extension of the literal sense and is not fully predictable without exposure. Because it combines a transparent literal reading with a less predictable idiomatic extension, the overall rating is semi-transparent.
Etymology
The phrase free ride comes from the simple image of taking a ride without paying, like someone climbing into a cart or car and being driven away for 'free'. So, it now means getting help or a benefit 'without paying or doing the work'.