rend

verb

ˈrend

rent ˈrent

also rended ˈren-dəd

; rending

Synonyms of rend next

transitive verb

: to remove from place by violence : wrest

: to split or tear apart or in pieces by violence

: to tear (the hair or clothing) as a sign of anger, grief, or despair

: to lacerate mentally or emotionally

: to pierce with sound

: to divide (something, such as a nation) into contesting factions

intransitive verb

: to perform an act of tearing or splitting

: to become torn or split

Choose the Right Synonym for rend

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 rend in a Sentence

They rent the cloth to shreds. mourners rending their clothes in grief

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

In lesser hands, this might be one of those theatrical pieces that offers a nice excuse for actors to rend garments and gnash teeth onscreen — the sort of cinéma du Off-Broadway favored by microbudget indie directors and arthouse die-hards. —

David Fear, Rolling Stone, 6 Sep. 2024 The cuts will rend apart the truss section and send the pieces plunging into the river, unpinning the Dali. —

Christine Condon, Baltimore Sun, 8 May 2024 After Destiny’s Child broke up, Beyoncé secretly held onto the Górecki feeling, hoping one day to rend her heart openly, singing the saddest music ever to touch her soul (without breaking it). —

Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2024 The leader of the Cenobites can only invade Earth if the box is opened, but his attacks are some of the goriest captured on film: Metal hooks linked to chains obey Pinhead's commands and rend the flesh from his victims! —

Steven Thrash, EW.com, 19 Oct. 2023 See all Example Sentences for rend

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English rendan; akin to Old Frisian renda to tear and perhaps to Sanskrit randhra hole

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of rend was before the 12th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Rend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rend. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

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Kids Definition

rend

verb

ˈrend

rent ˈrent

also rended; rending

: to remove from place by force : wrest

: to split or tear apart or in pieces by force

: to tear (the hair or clothing) as a sign of anger, grief, or despair

: to affect as if splitting or tearing

silence rent by a scream

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rend

verb

Synonyms

Examples of rend in a Sentence

Word History

Dictionary Entries Near rend

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition