riddance

noun
rid·​dance | \ ˈri-dᵊn(t)s How to pronounce riddance (audio) \

Definition of riddance

1 : an act of ridding
2 : deliverance, relief often used in the phrase good riddance especially to express relief that someone or something has gone

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Examples of riddance in a Sentence

the riddance of all the fleas from the house was a relief to everyone concerned

Recent Examples on the Web

Others said good riddance, because that blower design stank anyway. Gordon Mah Ung, PCWorld, "Nope, AMD didn't kill its reference Radeon 5700 cards barely a month after introducing them," 9 Aug. 2019 The side mirrors and windscreen-wipers had long gone, good riddance to them. The Economist, "Obituary: Pierre Mambele died on June 8th," 18 July 2019 Good riddance, though his arrest alone won’t satisfy the protestors who have filled the country’s streets for months. The Editorial Board, WSJ, "Downfall of a Dictator," 11 Apr. 2019 Good riddance to low-margin businesses, awful uses of capital. Andy Kessler, WSJ, "Lessons From an ’80s Trade War," 7 Oct. 2018 Those of us desperate to hang on said, privately, good riddance to the latter camp. Lydia Kiesling, WSJ, "Trying to Hold on as California Burns," 21 Sep. 2018 She was ultimately driven out of the restaurant, and honestly, good riddance. Mekita Rivas, Teen Vogue, "It's Not OK to Appropriate Mexican Culture — Especially If You’re Dehumanizing Its People," 28 June 2018 All four storks were standing tall on the edge of their nests, as if to announce their formidable presence, or to signal good riddance to us. L. Kim Tan, BostonGlobe.com, "In Latvia, we got carried away with storks," 26 June 2018 But today, Miami-Dade schools will say good riddance to a year thrown off track by disaster and tragedy. Colleen Wright, miamiherald, "From Hurricane Irma to Parkland, was this the most stressful school year?," 7 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'riddance.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of riddance

1524, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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