tear (something) into pieces:snapping teeth that would rend human flesh to shreds figurativethe speculation and confusion which was rending the civilized world
[with object and adverbial of direction] archaic wrench (something) violently:he rent the branch out of the tree
literary cause great emotional pain to:you tell me this in order to make me able to betray you without rending my heart
rend the air
literary sound piercingly:a shrill scream rent the air
rend one's garments (or hair)
tear one’s clothes (or pull one’s hair out) as a sign of extreme grief or distress:the women began to wail and rend their garments