Rift

UK: /ˈrɪft/ US: /rɪft/ ,(rift)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

rift /rɪft/   n. [countable]

1. a narrow crack, hole, or fissure.
2. a break in friendly relations:
   The incident created a rift that will take years to repair.
3. Geology a fault.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

rift  (rift), n. 

1. an opening made by splitting, cleaving, etc.;
   fissure;
   cleft;
   chink.
2. an open space, as in a forest or cloud mass, or a clear interval.
3. a break in friendly relations:
   a rift between two people; a rift between two nations.
4. a difference in opinion, belief, or interest that causes such a break in friendly relations.
5. Geology
   • a fault.
   • a graben of regional extent.
6. Building the plane or direction along which a log or mass of granite can most easily be split.
7. Building wood or a piece of wood that has been split radially from a log.

v.t., v.i. 

8. to burst open;
   split.

• Old Norse ript breaking of an agreement (compare Danish, Norwegian rift cleavage), derivative of rīfa to tear (cognate with rive)
• Middle English 1250–1300

rift′less, adj. 
Synonyms

• 3. breach, rupture, estrangement, falling-out.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

rift / rɪft/ noun

1. a gap or space made by cleaving or splitting; fissure
2. a long narrow zone of faulting resulting from tensional stress in the earth's crust
3. a gap between two cloud masses; break or chink
4. a break in friendly relations between people, nations, etc

verb

1. to burst or cause to burst open; split

Etymology: 13th Century: from Old Norse; related to Danish rift cleft, Icelandic ript breach of contract