1 A2 neutral
To leave a place by riding away on a horse, bicycle, or motorcycle.
"The cowboy tipped his hat and rode off towards the hills."
inseparable
ride off
B1 neutral inseparable intransitive
To depart on a horse, bicycle, or motorcycle, moving away from a place.
In plain English
To leave a place by riding a horse or bike and going away.
What does "ride off" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 idiomatic informal
(Idiomatic) 'Ride off into the sunset' — to end a chapter of life happily or peacefully, often after success.
"After thirty years at the company, he was ready to ride off into the sunset."
“
He wants to ride off into the sunset as a champion.
— Common idiom in sports journalism, widely used in ESPN and BBC Sport coverage
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To ride and go off (away) from a place.
Actually means
To leave a place by riding a horse or bike and going away.
Usage tip
Often used in Western films and literature for dramatic departures on horseback. The phrase 'ride off into the sunset' is a very common idiom meaning to have a happy or peaceful ending.
Words that pair with "ride off"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
sunset distance horse direction quickly into the distance
How to conjugate "ride off"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
ride off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
rides off
he/she/it
Past simple
rode off
yesterday
Past participle
ridden off
have + pp
-ing form
riding off
continuous
Hear "ride off" in the wild
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Other ways to say "ride off"
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Keep exploring
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