What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
ripening
Example
The bananas are ripening quickly in this warm weather. [ripening: present participle]
Example
The farmer is waiting for the tomatoes to finish ripening before harvesting them. [ripening: gerund]
maturing
Example
As he grew older, his taste in music began maturing. [maturing: present participle]
Example
The company's business strategy is maturing with each passing year. [maturing: verb]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Maturing is more commonly used than ripening in everyday language. Maturing is versatile and covers a wide range of contexts, while ripening is less common and more specific to the process of fruits or vegetables becoming ripe.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between ripening and maturing?
Both ripening and maturing are neutral in terms of formality and can be used in both formal and informal contexts.
