rid
rid — adjective
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.
passive: was rid of
- finally rid of
- completely rid of
- glad to be rid of
- well rid of
- burdened by
the opposite state of having an unwanted load
- troubled by
focuses on the continuing presence of a problem
Grammar Patterns
be + rid + of + noun phrase
Usage Note
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.
Common Mistakes
rid — verb
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.
passive meaning: got rid of as deliberate action
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.
it took + time + to get rid of
- get rid of
- rid oneself of
- finally get rid of
- quickly get rid of
- 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
Grammar Patterns
get + rid + of + noun phrase
rid + oneself + of + noun phrase
Usage Note
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.
Common Mistakes
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.
get rid of by donating
Before moving abroad, Jude got rid of most of his belongings.
- get rid of by selling
- get rid of by donating
- get rid of possessions
Grammar Patterns
get + rid + of + noun phrase (possession)
Usage Note
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.
Common Mistakes
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.
get rid of someone causing trouble
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.
- get rid of someone
- try to get rid of
- get rid of a nuisance
Grammar Patterns
get + rid + of + person
Usage Note
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'.
Common Mistakes
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.
rid itself of + abstract problem (organization subject)
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.
- rid oneself of
- rid himself of
- rid herself of
- rid itself of
- cannot rid oneself of
- 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
Grammar Patterns
rid + oneself + of + noun phrase
Usage Note
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).
Common Mistakes
rid of
phrasal verbTo remove something unwanted or annoying from a place or situation.
The cleaner rid the kitchen of all the ants.
Can you rid the garden of these weeds?
rid yourself of
phrasal verbTo free yourself from something unwanted, such as a feeling, habit, or problem.
Brian rid himself of his fear of flying.
She rid herself of the bad habit of biting nails.
good riddance
idioman exclamation used when you are happy that someone or something unwanted has gone away.
When the noisy neighbours finally moved out, Mateo said, 'Good riddance!' and closed the door.
Sirin threw the broken machine into the recycling bin with a cheerful 'Good riddance!'
To no longer have someone or something that was bothering you or that you did not want.
Mia was finally rid of her noisy neighbors after they moved.
Are you glad to be rid of that old sofa?
To remove or throw away someone or something that is annoying or unwanted.
Diego got rid of his old computer by donating it.
How can I get rid of these stains on my shirt?
To desire to be free from someone or something that is causing trouble or is unwanted.
Sara wants rid of her broken bicycle.
Do you want rid of these old magazines?
Word family
- riddancenounB2
- unridverb
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/1
'Get rid of' (verb/1) is the most everyday way to say you are removing something unwanted — it works for physical objects, stains, smells, and even minor annoyances. 'Throw away' is more specific and physical: you only throw away things that go into a bin. 'Discard' is more formal and appears in written instructions or official contexts. 'Dispose of' is even more formal and often used in rules or regulations ('please dispose of your waste properly'). 'Remove' is the most flexible — it can mean taking something off a surface, out of a container, or away from a place, but does not imply throwing it out. 'Eliminate' suggests complete removal and is common for abstract problems ('eliminate the risk'). For everyday conversation about getting rid of old items, 'get rid of' or 'throw away' are the most natural choices.
Common collocations
Etymology
The word 'rid' comes from Old Norse 'ryðja' meaning to clear land or remove obstacles. It entered English through Old English and Middle English, where it developed the general sense of making something clear or free. The core idea of clearing out unwanted things has stayed with the word for over a thousand years, and today it appears almost exclusively in fixed constructions like 'get rid of' and 'be rid of.'