rive
verb
ˈrīv 
rived ˈrīvd ; riven ˈri-vən also rived; riving ˈrī-viŋ ; rives
; riven ˈri-vən also rived; riving ˈrī-viŋ ; 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
: fracture
intransitive verb
: to become split : crack
Synonyms
- break
- break up
- bust
- disintegrate
- dismember
- disrupt
- fracture
- fragment
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
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 And new attention will be paid to the class divisions that have riven American society. 
Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 8 Apr. 2020 News reports this autumn detailed her disorganised, riven and functionally leaderless campaign, beset by internal rivalries and fund-raising woes. The Economist, 4 Dec. 2019 After more than three decades without baseball, the Montreal Expos moved to Washington in 2005 rebranded as the Nationals, becoming perhaps the only bipartisan agreement in a capital rived by tribalism as Republicans and Democrats flocked to games. Peter Baker, New York Times, 24 Oct. 2019 The divisions in the states riven by civil war are ethnic, denominational, interreligious, geographical, tribal, and ideological. New York Times, 12 May 2020 The strong bipartisan vote showed a rare level of unity in a Washington riven by partisan divides with a backdrop of a bitter fight for the Senate and the White House this fall. Laura Litvan, Bloomberg.com, 5 May 2020 The South American nation has been riven by protests for weeks, with clashes between government allies and opponents seeking Maduro’s ouster resulting in at least 30 deaths. Christine Jenkins, Bloomberg.com, 5 May 2017 See More
Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 8 Apr. 2020 News reports this autumn detailed her disorganised, riven and functionally leaderless campaign, beset by internal rivalries and fund-raising woes. The Economist, 4 Dec. 2019 After more than three decades without baseball, the Montreal Expos moved to Washington in 2005 rebranded as the Nationals, becoming perhaps the only bipartisan agreement in a capital rived by tribalism as Republicans and Democrats flocked to games. Peter Baker, New York Times, 24 Oct. 2019 The divisions in the states riven by civil war are ethnic, denominational, interreligious, geographical, tribal, and ideological. New York Times, 12 May 2020 The strong bipartisan vote showed a rare level of unity in a Washington riven by partisan divides with a backdrop of a bitter fight for the Senate and the White House this fall. Laura Litvan, Bloomberg.com, 5 May 2020 The South American nation has been riven by protests for weeks, with clashes between government allies and opponents seeking Maduro’s ouster resulting in at least 30 deaths. Christine Jenkins, Bloomberg.com, 5 May 2017 See More 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
rived
verb
1
as in disrupted
to cause to separate into pieces usually suddenly or forcibly road pavement that had been riven by the annual freeze-and-thaw cycle Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- disrupted
- broke
- fractured
- disintegrated
- destroyed
- shattered
- dismembered
- wrecked
- pulverized
- busted
- broke up
- crushed
- smashed
- reduced
- fragmented
- ground
- ruined
- blasted
- split
- popped
- exploded
- cracked
- detonated
- bust
- shivered
- powdered
- splintered
- bursted
- burst
- slivered
- chipped
- atomized
- imploded
- blew up
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- mended
- reconstructed
- repaired
- fixed
- healed
- rebuilt
- patched
- renovated
- reconditioned
- doctored
2
as in tore
to cause (something) to separate into jagged pieces by violently pulling at it the bitter disappointment threatened to rive my heart in two Synonyms & Similar Words
- tore
- ripped
- rended
- shredded
- tattered
- cleaved
- ribboned
- rent
- broke
- cut
- split
- ruptured
- lacerated
- gashed
- incised
- cleft
- slashed
- dissected
- mangled
- butchered
- hacked
- dismembered