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Glite Dictionary
🪓 Into pieces 🪓 Widely separated
asunder

asunder

1 9.9
Separated into parts or lying far apart
  • adjective
  • /əˈsʌndər/
  • Archaic
translation icon : dividido
  • The ancient statue was found broken, with pieces scattered asunder across the site.

Examples

  • Rens asunder the universal being and takes from it its own share.

  • And he, he makes great light within the under tomb and then bursts the door asunder and they they get out.

  • The twain shall never be rent asunder, as I like to say.

  • It divides asunder soul and spirit.

    Blog text (16)

  • It seems reality is rent asunder ♪ A step to death is a day of life

    Rise of the Footsoldier (2007)

  • If you and your paradox double were to even graze or glance at each other, the entire fabric of space-time would be ripped asunder and everything, whether it's past, present, or future, will cease to exist!

    Blog text (2)

  • During the storm, the old tree was split asunder, leaving two large halves lying on the ground.

  • The argument caused their friendship to be torn asunder, leaving them no longer on speaking terms.

Synonyms

separate
vsasunder
829 2.1

Not joined to another thing and kept apart

highlights wide separation into pieces rather than simple lack of connection
apart
vsasunder
559 1.0

Become separated into pieces

describes wider or more complete splitting rather than slight division
separately
vsasunder
148 2.1

Each person does it alone rather than together

focuses on wide physical breaking rather than acting on one by one
divided
vsasunder
3.0

Split into groups that do not agree

emphasizes broad breaking into pieces rather than minor splitting
separated
vsasunder
1.0

Not together with other people, kept apart from them

suggests a fuller breaking apart rather than merely being not together

Antonyms

together
∞ 1.0

In the same place or group with other people

united
∞ 2.2

Joined as one group and working toward the same goal

How Separated

asunder
  • Archaic
1 9.9
apart
∞ 1.0
together
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

asunder positive

Morphology

asunder = sunder (opaque) = a + sunder

The word is historically built from the fossilized prefix 'a-' plus 'sunder', but the old prefix is not productive and the form is not fully predictable for most learners.

Etymology

The word asunder comes from Old English parts a- and sunder, where sunder meant 'apart' or 'to split'. So when something is described as asunder it is 'apart' or 'widely separated', which explains its use as an adjective meaning 'apart' or 'divided'.