Irregular verbs Regular verbs
rive, rives, riving, riven, rived
Synonyms: split, tear apart, rend, cleave, sunder
Antonyms: join, unite, mend, combine, fasten
The Verb Rive – Definition, Usage, and Clarification The verb rive is a strong, literary, and uncommon irregular verb meaning to split or tear something apart violently and forcefully. It is similar in tone and intensity to the verb 'rend.' VERB FORMS ■ Base Form: rive ■ Past Simple: rived (or rove) ■ Past Participle: riven (or rived) ■ Present Participle/Gerund: riving USAGE AND CONTEXT 'Rive' is not used for everyday splitting; it is a powerful verb for dramatic or violent separation. 1. Splitting Apart by Force This is its primary literal meaning, often associated with natural forces or great strength. ■ Wood/Stone: 'The lightning strike rived the ancient oak tree in two.' ■ Historic: 'The force of the cannonball rived the ship's hull.' 2. Tearing Apart by Conflict (Figurative) This is the most common modern use of the verb, especially its past participle 'riven.' ■ Conflict: 'It is a country riven by civil war.' ■ Disagreement: 'The political party was riven with internal disputes.' ℹ IMPORTANT: LITERARY TONE AND COMMON USE ■ Literary and Uncommon: Like 'rend,' you would not use 'rive' in casual conversation. You 'split' logs for firewood; a nation is riven by conflict. Its use gives a text a serious, formal, or poetic quality. ■ 'Riven' as an Adjective: The past participle riven is now used more frequently as an adjective than the verb is used in other forms. When you see this word, it almost always means 'deeply divided by conflict or disagreement.'
RIVE - PRESENT SIMPLE | |
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★ I | rive |
★ you | rive |
★ he/she/it | rives |
★ we | rive |
★ you (plural) | rive |
★ they | rive |
Examples of the verb 'rive' in the Present Simple |
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- I rive the wood along its grain. |
- You rive the block of cedar for shingles. |
- A woodworker rives oak logs to make durable fence posts. | Lightning often rives old trees. |
- We rive the stone from the quarry. |
- You (plural) rive the logs with a wedge and sledgehammer. |
- They rive the bamboo for construction. |
RIVE - PRESENT CONTINUOUS | |
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★ I am | riving |
★ you are | riving |
★ he/she/it is | riving |
★ we are | riving |
★ you are | riving |
★ they are | riving |
Examples of the verb 'rive' in the Present Continuous |
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- I am riving this log into smaller pieces. |
- You are riving the wood for the project. |
- He is riving the stone with expert precision. | Disagreement is riving the committee apart. |
- We are riving the oak planks. |
- You (plural) are riving the bamboo stalks. |
- They are riving the slate for roofing tiles. |
RIVE - PRESENT PERFECT | |
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★ I have | riven |
★ you have | riven |
★ he/she/it has | riven |
★ we have | riven |
★ you have | riven |
★ they have | riven |
Examples of the verb 'rive' in the Present Perfect |
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- I have riven the block of wood into four even pieces. |
- You have riven the stone successfully. |
- The force of the explosion has riven the rock in two. | The community has been riven by political conflict. |
- We have riven enough wood for the winter. |
- You (plural) have riven the slate. |
- They have riven the party with their infighting. |
RIVE - PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS | |
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★ I have been | riving |
★ you have been | riving |
★ he/she/it has been | riving |
★ we have been | riving |
★ you have been | riving |
★ they have been | riving |
Examples of the verb 'rive' in the Present Perfect Continuous |
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- I have been riving wood for the fireplace all morning. |
- You have been riving the stone. |
- The dispute has been riving the family apart for months. | The craftsman has been riving the logs. |
- We have been riving the slate tiles. |
- You (plural) have been riving the bamboo. |
- They have been riving the foundation of their society with these arguments. |
RIVE - PAST SIMPLE | |
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★ I | rived |
★ you | rived |
★ he/she/it | rived |
★ we | rived |
★ you (plural) | rived |
★ they | rived |
Examples of the verb 'rive' in the Past Simple |
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- I rived the log with a single, clean blow. |
- You rived the stone from the cliff face. |
- He rived the block of wood with a traditional froe. | The civil war rived the nation in two. |
- We rived the planks for the boat. |
- You (plural) rived the slate. |
- They rived the party into factions. |
RIVE - PAST CONTINUOUS | |
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★ I was | riving |
★ you were | riving |
★ he/she/it was | riving |
★ we were | riving |
★ you were | riving |
★ they were | riving |
Examples of the verb 'rive' in the Past Continuous |
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- I was riving the wood for the shingles. |
- You were riving the stone. |
- The woodworker was riving the cedar logs for the roof. | The controversy was riving the community. |
- We were riving the planks. |
- You (plural) were riving the bamboo. |
- They were riving the party apart. |
RIVE - PAST PERFECT | |
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★ I had | riven |
★ you had | riven |
★ he/she/it had | riven |
★ we had | riven |
★ you had | riven |
★ they had | riven |
Examples of the verb 'rive' in the Past Perfect |
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- I had riven all the wood before the storm hit. |
- You had riven the stone before the machine broke. |
- The lightning strike had riven the ancient oak tree down the middle. | The party had been riven by infighting. |
- We had riven the logs. |
- You (plural) had riven the slate. |
- They had riven their own alliance apart. |
RIVE - PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS | |
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★ I had been | riving |
★ you had been | riving |
★ he/she/it had been | riving |
★ we had been | riving |
★ you had been | riving |
★ they had been | riving |
Examples of the verb 'rive' in the Past Perfect Continuous |
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- I had been riving wood all day. |
- You had been riving stone from that quarry for years. |
- The schism had been riving the church for years before the final split. | The craftsman had been riving the logs. |
- We had been riving the planks. |
- You (plural) had been riving the bamboo. |
- They had been riving their community apart. |
RIVE - FUTURE SIMPLE | |
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★ I will | rive |
★ you will | rive |
★ he/she/it will | rive |
★ we will | rive |
★ you will | rive |
★ they will | rive |
Examples of the verb 'rive' in the Future Simple |
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- I will rive this log to make fence posts for the garden. |
- You will rive the slate for the roof. |
- He will rive the wood tomorrow. | This divisive issue will rive the country apart. |
- We will rive the planks for the new deck. |
- You (plural) will rive the bamboo for the structure. |
- They will rive their own party with this new policy. |
RIVE - FUTURE CONTINUOUS | |
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★ I will be | riving |
★ you will be | riving |
★ he/she/it will be | riving |
★ we will be | riving |
★ you will be | riving |
★ they will be | riving |
Examples of the verb 'rive' in the Future Continuous |
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- I will be riving logs all afternoon. |
- You will be riving the stone. |
- He will be riving the wood for the furniture. | The debate will be riving the political party for the foreseeable future. |
- We will be riving the planks. |
- You (plural) will be riving the bamboo. |
- They will be riving the slate. |
RIVE - FUTURE PERFECT | |
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★ I will have | riven |
★ you will have | riven |
★ he/she/it will have | riven |
★ we will have | riven |
★ you will have | riven |
★ they will have | riven |
Examples of the verb 'rive' in the Future Perfect |
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- I will have riven enough firewood for the entire winter by the end of the week. |
- You will have riven the stone. |
- He will have riven the log. | The internal conflict will have riven the empire apart by the end of the century. |
- We will have riven the planks. |
- You (plural) will have riven the bamboo. |
- They will have riven the party into irrelevance. |
RIVE - FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS | |
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★ I will have been | riving |
★ you will have been | riving |
★ he/she/it will have been | riving |
★ we will have been | riving |
★ you will have been | riving |
★ they will have been | riving |
Examples of the verb 'rive' in the Future Perfect Continuous |
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- By tomorrow, I will have been riving wood for two full days. |
- You will have been riving stone. |
- He will have been riving the logs. | By the end of the war, the conflict will have been riving the society for a decade. |
- We will have been riving the planks. |
- You (plural) will have been riving the bamboo. |
- They will have been riving their own organization apart. |