Rip vs. Pip — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on May 17, 2024
Rip refers to tearing something apart or a slang term for Rest In Peace, whereas Pip denotes a small seed in a fruit or a high-pitched sound.
Difference Between Rip and Pip
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Rip commonly refers to tearing or cutting something forcefully, often leaving rough edges. It is also used as an acronym for "Rest In Peace," typically on tombstones or in obituaries. Pip, on the other hand, typically means a small seed found in fruits like apples and oranges. Additionally, it can refer to a short, high-pitched sound.
Rip is often associated with the act of destruction or damage, such as ripping a piece of paper. It carries a sense of force and immediacy. Whereas, Pip denotes something small and often unnoticed, like the seeds within fruits. It implies something minor and less impactful.
In slang, rip can mean to criticize harshly or perform exceptionally well in a specific activity. Pip, in contrast, can also mean a minor annoyance or someone who stands out due to their excellence, such as in British slang where "pip" can refer to a star or a distinguished mark.
Rip is used in various idiomatic expressions like "rip off," meaning to cheat someone, and "rip through," meaning to move quickly and forcefully through something. Pip doesn't have as many idiomatic uses but can mean to defeat someone by a narrow margin, often used in competitive contexts.
Rip's verb form "ripped" describes something that has been torn apart, while pip doesn't have a direct verb form but can be used in the phrase "to pip someone," meaning to beat them narrowly.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
To tear apart forcefully
A small seed in a fruit
Common Usage
Destruction or cutting
Minor part of fruit, small object
Slang
Criticize harshly, perform well
Minor annoyance, distinguished mark
Idioms
"Rip off," "rip through"
"To pip someone"
Verb Form
Ripped
N/A (used in phrase "to pip someone")
Compare with Definitions
Rip
To tear or cut apart forcefully.
She accidentally ripped her dress on the fence.
Pip
A small seed in a fruit.
She carefully removed the pips from the apple.
Rip
To move quickly and forcefully through something.
The hurricane ripped through the coastal town.
Pip
A high-pitched sound.
The microwave signaled with a pip when the food was ready.
Rip
To perform exceptionally well.
He ripped the competition with his outstanding performance.
Pip
To defeat narrowly.
She pipped her rival to the post in the final seconds of the race.
Rip
A stretch of water in a river, estuary, or tidal channel made rough by waves meeting an opposing current.
Pip
The small seed of a fruit, as that of an apple or orange.
Rip
A rip current.
Pip
A dot indicating a unit of numerical value on dice or dominoes.
Rip
A dissolute person.
Pip
A mark indicating the suit or numerical value of a playing card.
Rip
An old or worthless horse.
Pip
A spot or speck.
Rip
A tear (in paper, etc.).
Pip
A rootstock of certain flowering plants, especially the lily of the valley.
Rip
A type of strong, rough tide or current.
Pip
Any of the small segments that make up the surface of a pineapple.
Rip
(Australia, New Zealand) A rip current: a strong outflow of surface water, away from the shore, that returns water from incoming waves.
Pip
(Informal) A shoulder insignia indicating the rank of certain officers, as in the British Army.
Rip
(slang) A comical, embarrassing, or hypocritical event or action.
Pip
See blip.
Rip
(slang) A hit (dose) of marijuana.
Pip
A short, high-pitched radio signal.
Rip
A black mark given for substandard schoolwork.
Pip
A disease of birds, characterized by a thick mucous discharge that forms a crust in the mouth and throat.
Rip
(slang) Something unfairly expensive, a rip-off.
Pip
(Slang) A minor unspecified human ailment.
Rip
Data or audio copied from a CD, DVD, Internet stream, etc. to a hard drive, portable device, etc.
Some of these CD rips don't sound very good: what bitrate did you use?
Pip
To wound or kill with a bullet.
Rip
Something ripped off or stolen; a work resulting from plagiarism.
Pip
To defeat.
Rip
A kind of glissando leading up to the main note to be played.
Pip
To blackball.
Rip
Ellipsis of ripsaw.
Pip
To break through (the shell) in hatching. Used chiefly of birds.
Rip
A joyride.
Pip
To peep or chirp.
Rip
A wicker basket for fish.
Pip
Any of various respiratory diseases in birds, especially infectious coryza.
Rip
A worthless horse; a nag.
Pip
Of humans, a disease, malaise or depression.
Rip
An immoral man; a rake, a scoundrel.
Pip
(obsolete) A pippin, seed of any kind.
Rip
(transitive) To divide or separate the parts of (especially something flimsy, such as paper or fabric), by cutting or tearing; to tear off or out by violence.
To rip a garment; to rip up a floor
Pip
(UK) A seed inside certain fleshy fruits (compare stone/pit), such as a peach, orange, or apple.
Apple pips are edible, but don't have a pleasant taste.
Rip
(intransitive) To tear apart; to rapidly become two parts.
My shirt ripped when it was caught on a bramble.
Pip
Something or someone excellent, of high quality.
Rip
(transitive) To get by, or as if by, cutting or tearing.
Pip
P in RAF phonetic alphabet.
Rip
To move quickly and destructively.
Pip
One of the spots or symbols on a playing card, domino, die, etc.
Rip
(woodworking) To cut wood along (parallel to) the grain.
Pip
One of the stylised version of the Bath star worn on the shoulder of a uniform to denote rank, e.g. of a soldier or a fireman.
Rip
To copy data from a CD, DVD, Internet stream, etc., to a hard drive, portable device, etc.
Pip
A spot; a speck.
Rip
To take a "hit" of marijuana.
Pip
A spot of light or an inverted V indicative of a return of radar waves reflected from an object; a blip.
Rip
(slang) To fart.
Pip
A piece of rhizome with a dormant shoot of the lily of the valley plant, used for propagation
Rip
To mock or criticize (someone or something). (often used with on and into)
Pip
One of a series of very short, electronically produced tones, used, for example, to count down the final few seconds before a given time or to indicate that a caller using a payphone needs to make further payment to continue the call.
Rip
To steal; to rip off.
Pip
The smallest price increment between two currencies in foreign exchange (forex) trading.
Rip
To move or act fast; to rush headlong.
Pip
(transitive) To remove the pips from.
Peel and pip the grapes.
Rip
(archaic) To tear up for search or disclosure, or for alteration; to search to the bottom; to discover; to disclose; usually with up.
Pip
To get the better of; to defeat by a narrow margin
He led throughout the race but was pipped at the post.
Rip
To surf extremely well.
Pip
To hit with a gunshot
The hunter managed to pip three ducks from his blind.
Rip
A wicker fish basket.
Pip
To peep, to chirp
Rip
A rent made by ripping, esp. by a seam giving way; a tear; a place torn; laceration.
Pip
(avian biology) To make the initial hole during the process of hatching from an egg
Rip
A term applied to a mean, worthless thing or person, as to a scamp, a debauchee, or a prostitute, or a worn-out horse.
Pip
A contagious disease of fowls, characterized by hoarseness, discharge from the nostrils and eyes, and an accumulation of mucus in the mouth, forming a "scale" on the tongue. By some the term pip is restricted to this last symptom, the disease being called roup by them.
Rip
A body of water made rough by the meeting of opposing tides or currents.
Pip
A seed, as of an apple or orange.
Rip
To divide or separate the parts of, by cutting or tearing; to tear or cut open or off; to tear off or out by violence; as, to rip a garment by cutting the stitches; to rip off the skin of a beast; to rip up a floor; - commonly used with up, open, off.
Pip
One of the conventional figures or "spots" on playing cards, dominoes, etc.
Rip
To get by, or as by, cutting or tearing.
He 'll rip the fatal secret from her heart.
Pip
To cry or chirp, as a chicken; to peep.
To hear the chick pip and cry in the egg.
Rip
To tear up for search or disclosure, or for alteration; to search to the bottom; to discover; to disclose; - usually with up.
They ripped up all that had been done from the beginning of the rebellion.
For brethern to debate and rip up their falling out in the ear of a common enemy . . . is neither wise nor comely.
Pip
A disease of poultry
Rip
To saw (wood) lengthwise of the grain or fiber.
Pip
A minor nonspecific ailment
Rip
A dissolute man in fashionable society
Pip
A small hard seed found in some fruits
Rip
An opening made forcibly as by pulling apart;
There was a rip in his pants
She had snags in her stockings
Pip
A mark on a playing card (shape depending on the suit)
Rip
A stretch of turbulent water in a river or the sea caused by one current flowing into or across another current
Pip
A radar echo displayed so as to show the position of a reflecting surface
Rip
The act of rending or ripping or splitting something;
He gave the envelope a vigorous rip
Pip
Kill by firing a missile
Rip
Tear or be torn violently;
The curtain ripped from top to bottom
Pull the cooked chicken into strips
Pip
Hit with a missile from a weapon
Rip
Move precipitously or violently;
The tornado ripped along the coast
Pip
Defeat thoroughly;
He mopped up the floor with his opponents
Rip
Cut (wood) along the grain
Pip
A minor annoyance.
His constant interruptions were quite a pip.
Rip
Criticize or abuse strongly and violently;
The candidate ripped into his opponent mercilessly
Pip
A distinguished mark or star, especially in British slang.
He earned his first pip in the military for his service.
Rip
To criticize harshly.
The critic ripped the new movie apart.
Rip
Slang for "Rest In Peace."
They placed a wreath on the grave marked RIP.
Common Curiosities
Can rip be used as slang?
Yes, rip can be slang for "Rest In Peace" or to perform exceptionally well.
Does pip have slang meanings?
Yes, pip can refer to a minor annoyance or a distinguished mark.
What is a pip in fruit?
A pip is a small seed found inside fruits like apples and oranges.
How is rip used in idioms?
Rip is used in idioms like "rip off" (cheat) and "rip through" (move forcefully).
What does "ripped" describe?
Ripped describes something that has been torn apart.
What contexts use rip for criticism?
Rip is used to harshly criticize, often in reviews or informal speech.
Is there a verb form for pip?
No direct verb form, but "to pip someone" means to narrowly defeat them.
Can rip refer to sound?
No, rip does not typically refer to sound.
What does rip mean?
Rip means to tear apart forcefully or to criticize harshly.
Does pip have an idiomatic usage?
Yes, "to pip someone" means to narrowly defeat them.
What is the difference between rip and tear?
Rip implies forceful separation, while tear can be more gentle.
Is pip used in military terms?
Yes, in British slang, pip can denote a rank insignia.
Can pip refer to a person?
In British slang, pip can refer to someone who is a minor annoyance.
Are pips found in all fruits?
No, only in fruits with small seeds like apples and oranges.
Can rip mean to move quickly?
Yes, as in "rip through," meaning to move quickly and forcefully.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
