<p>Water deficit stress significantly impacts fruit ripening in plants, triggering physiological and biochemical responses based on species, development stage, and severity. It highlights the importance of fruit ripening in agriculture and the need to understand how these crops adapt to the physiological and molecular complexities induced by water deficit conditions. The review examines the impact of water deficit stress on water relations in plants, highlighting changes in osmotic regulation, stomatal conductance, and transpiration rates. It highlights the role of plant hormones, particularly abscisic acid and ethylene, in regulating fruit ripening under water deficit conditions. The review also examines the cellular mechanisms underlying drought-induced fruit ripening, including the expression of genes related to fruit development and ripening, signaling pathways activated in response to water scarcity, and stress-responsive transcription factors. Furthermore, it examines the morphological changes in fruit size, shape, and skin texture, emphasizing the interconnectedness of structural adaptations in the plant’s response to water scarcity. The review concludes by examining anatomical and histological modifications in fruit tissues during drought-induced ripening.</p>