Standard Lemma guide

rift

noun · verb · 11 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • rĭft
  • /ɹɪft/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɪft
  • homophone: riffed
  • CMU ARPABET: R IH1 F T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A chasm or fissure.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The Grand Canyon is a rift in the Earth's surface, but is smaller than some of the undersea ones.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A lack of cohesion; a state of conflict, incompatibility, or emotional distance.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

Examples

  • My marriage is in trouble: the fight created a rift between us and we can't reconnect.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A break in the clouds, fog, mist etc., which allows light through.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A shallow place in a stream; a ford.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To form a rift; to split open.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To cleave; to rive; to split.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • to rift an oak

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To belch.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: obsolete outside Scotland and northern UK

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

past participle of rive

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, obsolete, participle, past

Examples

  • The mightie trunck halfe rent, with ragged rift Doth roll adowne the rocks, and fall with fearefull drift.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

a personal or social separation (as between opposing factions)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • they hoped to avoid a break in relations

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: rupture, breach, break, severance, falling out

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: separation, breakup, detachment

Narrower terms: schism

10

noun

Meaning 10

a narrow fissure in rock

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: crack, cleft, crevice, fissure, scissure

11

noun

Meaning 11

a gap between cloud masses

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the sun shone through a rift in the clouds

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: opening, gap

History

Etymology

From Middle English rift, of North Germanic origin; akin to Danish rift, Norwegian Bokmål rift (“breach”), Old Norse rífa (“to tear”). More at rive.

From Old Norse rypta.

Across languages

Translations

44 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: цепнатина (cepnatina) — chasm or fissure
  • Chinese Cantonese: 罅 (laa3) — chasm or fissure
  • Chinese Mandarin: 裂縫 /裂缝 (lièfèng) — chasm or fissure
  • Czech: trhlina — chasm or fissure
  • Czech: prasklina — chasm or fissure
  • Czech: puklina — chasm or fissure
  • Danish: rift — chasm or fissure
  • Dutch: breuk — chasm or fissure
  • Esperanto: fendo — chasm or fissure
  • Esperanto: breĉo — chasm or fissure
  • Finnish: kuilu — chasm or fissure
  • Finnish: halkeama — chasm or fissure
  • Finnish: repeämä — chasm or fissure
  • French: fente — chasm or fissure
  • French: fissure — chasm or fissure
  • German: Riss — chasm or fissure
  • Ancient Greek: χάσμα (khásma) — chasm or fissure
  • Hindi: दरार (darār) — chasm or fissure
  • Hindi: अनुपाट (anupāṭ) — chasm or fissure
  • Hindi: विभ्रंश (vibhrañś) — chasm or fissure
  • Hindi: फटन (phaṭan) — chasm or fissure
  • Kazakh: сызат (syzat) — chasm or fissure
  • Kazakh: жарық (jaryq) — chasm or fissure
  • Macedonian: цепна́тина (cepnátina) — chasm or fissure
  • Macedonian: ра́сцеп (ráscep) — chasm or fissure
  • Macedonian: пукна́тина (puknátina) — chasm or fissure
  • Māori: tawhā — chasm or fissure
  • Norwegian: rift — chasm or fissure
  • Old English: cleofa — chasm or fissure
  • Portuguese: rifte — chasm or fissure
  • Russian: тре́щина (tréščina) — chasm or fissure
  • Russian: разры́в (razrýv) — chasm or fissure
  • Russian: рассе́лина (rassélina) — chasm or fissure
  • Slovak: trhlina — chasm or fissure
  • Spanish: cisma — chasm or fissure
  • Spanish: fisura — chasm or fissure
  • Ottoman Turkish: آرالق (aralık) — chasm or fissure
  • Ottoman Turkish: چاك (çâk) — chasm or fissure
  • Czech: trhlina — break in the clouds, fog, mist etc.
  • Finnish: aukko — break in the clouds, fog, mist etc.
  • Finnish: valopilkku — break in the clouds, fog, mist etc.
  • French: percée — break in the clouds, fog, mist etc.
  • French: éclaircie — break in the clouds, fog, mist etc.
  • Russian: просве́т (prosvét) — break in the clouds, fog, mist etc.