rive

verb

rived ˈrīvd How to pronounce rive (audio) ; riven ˈri-vən How to pronounce rive (audio) also rived; riving ˈrī-viŋ How to pronounce rive (audio) ; rives

transitive verb

1
a
: to wrench open or tear apart or to pieces : rend
b
: to split with force or violence
2
a
: to divide into pieces or fractions
an organization being riven by controversy
b

intransitive verb

: to become split : crack
Choose the Right Synonym for rive

tear, rip, rend, split, cleave, rive mean to separate forcibly.

tear implies pulling apart by force and leaving jagged edges.

tear up the letter

rip implies a pulling apart in one rapid uninterrupted motion often along a line or joint.

ripped the shirt on a nail

rend implies very violent or ruthless severing or sundering.

an angry mob rent the prisoner's clothes

split implies a cutting or breaking apart in a continuous, straight, and usually lengthwise direction or in the direction of grain or layers.

split logs for firewood

cleave implies very forceful splitting or cutting with a blow.

a bolt of lightning cleaved the giant oak

rive occurs most often in figurative use.

a political party riven by conflict

Examples of rive in a Sentence

road pavement that had been riven by the annual freeze-and-thaw cycle the bitter disappointment threatened to rive my heart in two
Recent Examples on the Web The history of this land is riven by two incompatible narratives, Israeli and Palestinian. Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 27 Nov. 2023 Still others suggest surveys increasingly reflect a society riven by persistent inequality and lagging upward mobility. Laurent Belsie, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Feb. 2024 That’s in large part because he’s ushered in newfound peace in a country riven by brutal gangs, violence, and extortion. Whitney Eulich, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Feb. 2024 But its real potency, as both a portrait of families riven by incarceration and a call to action on prisoners’ rights, lies in what comes before and after. Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2024 Since October, the area has been riven by an ongoing war between Israeli and Palestinian factions. Jesse Wright, Chicago Tribune, 28 Jan. 2024 Records of human resources complaints and interviews with current and former employees describe a workplace riven by infighting and political feuds that have undermined the home’s operations and continue to divide the workforce to this day. Mike Damiano, BostonGlobe.com, 15 Apr. 2023 So for now, Saturday's action signals further strife and disarray and possibly another in a long list of lawsuits in a party riven by divisions as its power has cratered in Michigan. Paul Egan, Detroit Free Press, 6 Jan. 2024 The award drove a wedge between the O’Neals, whose family was already riven with dysfunction. Josh Rottenberg, Los Angeles Times, 10 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old Norse rīfa; akin to Greek ereipein to tear down

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of rive was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near rive

Cite this Entry

“Rive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rive. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

rive

verb
rived ˈrīvd How to pronounce rive (audio) ; riven ˈriv-ən How to pronounce rive (audio) also rived; riving ˈrī-viŋ How to pronounce rive (audio)
1
: to tear apart
2
: to become split or cause to split

More from Merriam-Webster on rive

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