riven

ri·ven
R1I1V4E1N1
UK, US/ˈɹɪvən/

adjective

Torn apart.

OriginMiddle English riven ← Old Norse rífa →
UncommonScrabble 8
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

verb
  1. participlepastpast participle of rive
adjectiveriven (not comparable)
  1. not comparableTorn apart.
  2. not comparableBroken into pieces; split asunder.

    “She shall be blasted like a riven oak! Drowned in sulphur! Torn by whirlwinds!”

    1970, Richard Carpenter, Catweazle, Harmondsworth: Puffin Books, page 68

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
bum

Origin

  1. Old Norserífa“to pick, scratch, rive”
  2. Middle Englishriven
  3. Englishriven

From Middle English riven, past participle of rive (“to rive”). Compare Old Norse rifinn, past participle of Old Norse rífa (“to pick, scratch, rive”).

More words from Middle English, Old Norse

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Czech rozpolcený, rozštěpený
  • rozpolcenýtorn apart
  • rozštěpenýtorn apart

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with riven

givendrivenlivenRuthven
All rhymes →

Sounds the same

Ruthven (one pronunciation)Ruthven (one pronunciation)

Anagrams

ErvinInvervinerniverRivneIrven
Cite this entry
APA

riven. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/riven

MLA

“riven.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/riven. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “riven,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/riven.

Source: riven on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.