adverb

asunder

uh-SUHN-duh

adverb

Torn or broken into separate pieces, especially violently.

"The old ship was torn asunder by the storm."

"Their friendship was ripped asunder by the argument."

Apart from one another; separated.

"The two families lived asunder for years after the feud."

How to Use Asunder

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishSplit apart, usually dramatically — you almost never hear it outside phrases like "torn asunder."

When to use it

Literary and rather old-fashioned; mostly survives in set phrases and the marriage vow "let no man put asunder."

Common pairings

torn asunder rent asunder put asunder

more asunder comparative, more asunder comparative, asundered past tense, asunders singular, most asunder superlative, most asunder superlative

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Can you complete this real example?

The old ship was torn _____ by the storm.

From Old English on sundran ("apart, separately"), related to sunder ("to separate").

apart half and half in sunder piecemeal

piece together simultaneously apart divide distribute

under sunder dunder thunder launder founder plunder blunder sounder rounder pounder flounder

apart half and half in sunder piecemeal piece together simultaneously divide distribute