1. Resembling a sound of violent tearing as of something ripped apart or lightning splitting a tree
   "the tree split with a great ripping sound";
   - rending, splitting
    
2. [Brit, archaic, informal] Of the highest quality, skill, etc.; very good or impressive
   "a ripping reporter";
   - ace [informal], A-one [informal], crack [informal], first-rate, super, tiptop, topnotch [informal], top-notch [informal], tops [informal], A1 [informal], top-class, gnarly [N. Amer, informal], excellent, first-class, fantabulous [informal], splendid, mean [informal], outstanding, lush [Brit, informal], brilliant, beezer [UK, archaic], stellar [informal], awesome [informal], top-drawer, dope [N. Amer, informal], socko [N. Amer, informal], righteous [US, slang], fab [Brit, informal], crucial [slang], rad [N. Amer, slang], radical [N. Amer, slang], nang [Brit, slang], phat [slang], legit [US, slang], awesomesauce [informal], amazeballs [informal], beaut [Austral, NZ, informal], lit [US, slang], storming [Brit, informal], blinding [Brit, slang], stonking [Brit, informal], brill [Brit, informal], wicked [slang], cushty [Brit, informal], def [slang], magic [Brit, slang], smokin' [slang], smoking [slang], sick [N. Amer, slang]

1. Tear or be torn violently
   "The curtain ripped from top to bottom";
   - rend, rive [archaic], pull
    
2. Move precipitously or violently
   "The tornado ripped along the coast"
    
3. Cut (wood) along the grain
   "The carpenter ripped the board to the correct width"
    
4. [N. Amer, informal] Take without the owner's consent
   "Someone ripped off my wallet on the train";
   - steal, rip off [informal]
    
5. [informal] Criticize or abuse strongly and violently
   "The candidate ripped into his opponent mercilessly";
   - rip into
    
6. [informal] (computing) copy data, esp. music or video, from an optical disk (such as a CD or DVD) to a hard drive or another re-writable storage device
   "He ripped his entire CD collection to his computer's hard drive"

See also: cacophonic, cacophonous, super-duper [informal], superior

Type of: assail, assault, attack, bomb [Brit, informal], buck, bust [informal], charge, cut, lash out, round, rupture, scream [informal], shoot, shoot down, snap, take, tear

Encyclopedia: Ripping