To rid something of a problem means to remove or eliminate it completely. When a gardener rids their garden of weeds, they pull them all out so the vegetables can grow properly. When you rid your room of clutter, you clean it up until the mess is gone.

The word usually appears in phrases like “get rid of” or “rid yourself of.” You might get rid of old toys you've outgrown, or a doctor might help you get rid of a persistent cough. A city works to rid its streets of potholes by filling them in.

Rid suggests a thorough, complete removal. If mice infest a barn, the farmer wants to rid it of mice entirely, making sure they're all gone from every corner. The word often implies that whatever you're removing was unwanted or troublesome to begin with.

The past tense is also rid (not “ridded”): “We finally rid the attic of those old boxes.” You might also hear the phrase “good riddance,” which people say when they're happy to be rid of something bothersome, like saying “good riddance!” when a mosquito finally flies out the window.