rend

Meaning

Verb

1. (transitive) To separate into parts with force or sudden violence; to split; to burst.
2. (figuratively, transitive) To violently disturb the peace of; to throw into chaos.
3. (transitive) To part or tear off forcibly; to take away by force; to amputate.
4. (intransitive) To be rent or torn; to become parted; to separate; to split.

Noun

A violent separation of parts.

Synonyms

tear

split

rip

crack

cleave

break

rive

lacerate

divide

slit

tear apart

splinter

slash

shred

pierce

sever

cut

pull

hew

cause to burst

separate

shake

🫨

shear

shock

⚡

skive

sliver

slot

snap

splitting

splitting up

sunder

tear off

tear up

vibrate

vibration

wedging

break asunder

pluck up

pull to pieces

split open

tear to pieces

effracture

fissuration

cut asunder

rifting

be cleft

become fissured

abstract

crack asunder

be torn

Translations

fendre

rasgar

strappare

rajar

esqueixar

esberlar

rasgar

estellar

mettre en pièces

lacerare

esquerdar

clivellar

spalten

fendere

déchirer

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ɹɛnd/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: renden

Inherited from Old English: rendan

Cognate with Old English: hrindan

Cognate with Scots: rent

Cognate with Old Frisian: renda

In summary

From Middle English renden, from Old English rendan (“to rend, tear, cut, lacerate, cut down”), from Proto-West Germanic *(h)randijan (“to tear”), of uncertain origin. Believed by some to be the causative of Proto-Germanic *hrindaną (“to push”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱret-, *kret- (“to hit, beat”), which would make it related to Old English hrindan (“to thrust, push”). Cognate with Scots rent (“to rend, tear”), Old Frisian renda (“to tear”).