an opening made by splitting, cleaving, etc.; fissure; cleft; chink.
an open space, as in a forest or cloud mass, or a clear interval.
a break in friendly relations: a rift between two people; a rift between two nations.
a difference in opinion, belief, or interest that causes such a break in friendly relations.
Geology.
a fault.
a graben of regional extent.
the plane or direction along which a log or mass of granite can most easily be split.
wood or a piece of wood that has been split radially from a log.
verb (used with or without object)
to burst open; split.
Origin of rift
1250–1300; Middle English <Old Norse ript breaking of an agreement (compare Danish, Norwegian rift cleavage), derivative of rīfa to tear (cognate with rive)
SYNONYMS FOR rift
3 breach, rupture, estrangement, falling-out.
SEE SYNONYMS FOR rift ON THESAURUS.COM
OTHER WORDS FROM rift
riftless,adjectiveun·rift·ed,adjective
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH rift
riff, rift
Words nearby rift
rifle pit, rifle range, riflery, riflescope, rifling, rift, rift saw, rift-sawed, rift valley, Rift Valley fever, rift zone
It is an active continental rift that began millions of years ago, splitting at 7mm annually.
Scientists say a new ocean will form in Africa as the continent continues to split into two|Uwagbale Edward-Ekpu|August 13, 2020|Quartz
Thanks to injuries and a rift with management, Nomar was shipped out of town three months before Boston ended its World Series drought, and his career was never really the same afterward.
Nomar Garciaparra’s Full Career Wasn’t Enough For Cooperstown — But It Was Still Damn Good|Neil Paine (neil.paine@fivethirtyeight.com)|July 28, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
Some reported the rift between Carson and the others became noticeable in early 2019, while others said things worsened closer to July or August 2019, after a retreat and other financial disagreements boiled over.
Accusations Flew, Then National School District Official Got Paid to Resign|Ashly McGlone|July 20, 2020|Voice of San Diego
Her mother made demands about a big ceremony and caused a rift between them.
A Sunni-Shia Love Story Imperiled by al Qaeda|Ruth Michaelson|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The rift put Washington at odds with countries like Brazil, Uruguay or Chile, which seemed to have come to terms with their past.
Venezuela Says Goodbye to Its Lil Friend, While the Rest of the Continent Cheers|Catalina Lobo-Guererro|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Hagel sought to downplay any rift in a statement to Defense Department employees.
Hagel Takes a Bullet for Obama: Inside the Defense Secretary’s Sudden Firing|Shane Harris, Tim Mak|November 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But the rift was, not least, a matter of personalities and egos.
ISIS and Al Qaeda Ready to Gang Up on Obama's Rebels|Jamie Dettmer|November 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But if the rift with Iran widens, it could become a shadow enemy in Syria as the U.S. begins its war there.
How Iran Could Become Our Shadow Enemy in the Syria ISIS War|Jacob Siegel|September 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A rift in the clouds had let the sunlight through, and when she reached the gate, the garden was bathed in sunlight.
Princess Polly At Play|Amy Brooks
A cotton-tail sat with quivering nose and inquiring ears above the rift of the slide.
Still Jim|Honor Willsie Morrow
Through the dingy window, for a single moment, one clear star shone between a rift in the driving storm-clouds.
The Strand Magazine, Volume VII, Issue 38, February 1894|Various
The rain had stopped, and through a rift in the eastern clouds the level, red rays of the sun were shining.
With Hoops of Steel|Florence Finch Kelly
The Wadi Mellahah is another huge cleft or rift, running about a mile to the west of, and more or less parallel to, the Jordan.
With the Judans in the Palestine Campaign|J. H. (John Henry) Patterson
British Dictionary definitions for rift (1 of 2)
rift1
/ (rɪft) /
noun
a gap or space made by cleaving or splitting; fissure
geologya long narrow zone of faulting resulting from tensional stress in the earth's crust
a gap between two cloud masses; break or chinkhe saw the sun through a rift in the clouds
a break in friendly relations between people, nations, etc
verb
to burst or cause to burst open; split
Word Origin for rift
C13: from Old Norse; related to Danish rift cleft, Icelandic ript breach of contract
British Dictionary definitions for rift (2 of 2)
rift2
/ (rɪft) /
nounUS
a shallow or rocky part in a stream
the backwash from a wave that has just broken
Word Origin for rift
C14: from Old Norse rypta; related to Icelandic ropa to belch