Synonyms of riven

riven

verb

variants also rived

past participle of rive

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

• disrupted
• broken
• fractured
• fragmented
• destroyed
• disintegrated
• reduced
• ruined
• shattered
• smashed
• busted
• dismembered
• broken up
• crushed
• split
• cracked
• ground
• pulverized
• wrecked
• powdered
• burst
• exploded
• blasted
• splintered
• shivered
• popped
• detonated
• atomized
• chipped
• blown up
• slivered
• imploded

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• healed
• repaired
• rebuilt
• fixed
• reconstructed
• mended
• patched
• renovated
• reconditioned
• doctored

2

as in torn

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

• torn
• ripped
• shredded
• tattered
• split
• cleaved
• broken
• ribboned
• rent
• cut
• ruptured
• incised
• slashed
• lacerated
• dissected
• gashed
• mangled
• hacked
• butchered
• dismembered

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of riven

But Trumpism is also what Gramsci called a morbid symptom of the interregnum, an expression of a country riven by political polarization and by economic inequity, and struggling to come to terms with the waning of its singular status. — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 17 Sep. 2026

Yet even as Jewish leaders across the political spectrum condemn such incidents, the broader Jewish community is riven by divisions related to Israel’s role in ongoing Middle East conflicts. — David Crary, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026

But there is something raw and honest about the way the soulful indie-pop writer-singer translates deep personal emotions into music, especially those feelings riven by doubt and insecurity, inevitable in complicated relationships. — Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2026

Some came from families riven by poverty and domestic violence. — Mica Rosenberg, ProPublica, 6 July 2026

But Bucks County has also been riven by unsubstantiated allegations of election fraud, fights over book bans and protests over what version of American history should be taught in schools. — Reuters, 2 July 2026

Refugee aid programs have resettled many Congolese families in the suburbs north of the nation’s capital, as their nation has been rived by war, unrest and now an Ebola outbreak. — Jesus Jiménez, New York Times, 30 June 2026

Kennedy and his allies have been highly critical of federal expert panels, often alleging that they are riven with conflicts of interest, despite federal data showing otherwise. — ABC News, 29 June 2026

Membership has become more of an issue in the matters of who is authorized to speak for two other acts that are still listed on the bill, and who have riven current or former members, Milli Vanilli and C&C Music Factory. — Chris Willman, Variety, 28 May 2026