cleave
cleave — verb
- cleavepresent simple I / you / we / they
- cleaveshe / she / it
- cleavedpast simple
- cleaving-ing form
- cleftpast participle
1. to cut or split something into two or more parts, usually with a heavy tool or g
to cut or split something into two or more parts, usually with a heavy tool or great force, so that the pieces separate completely.
The lumberjack raised his axe and cleaved the oak log cleanly into two halves.
cleave + noun + into + number + halves/pieces
A bolt of lightning cleaved the old pine tree right down the middle.
transitive: body cleaved by natural force
The scientist's discovery cleaved the research community into two fiercely opposed camps.
With a single powerful stroke, the butcher cleaved the beef shank apart on the wooden block.
As the glacier moved, deep cracks began to cleave the ice sheet from within.
文法句型
cleave + noun (in two / apart / into pieces)
cleave + noun + with + tool
用法筆記
This sense (SPLIT APART) is the opposite of sense 2 (ADHERE TO), making 'cleave' a famous contranym — one word with two contradictory meanings. The split sense is more common in modern English, though still literary or formal; in everyday speech, speakers prefer 'split', 'cut', or 'divide'.
常見錯誤
2. to stick very firmly to something or someone, either physically or in the sense
to stick very firmly to something or someone, either physically or in the sense of continuing to believe in a principle, idea, or person with strong loyalty.
Despite losing every election, Diya cleaved to her belief that peaceful protest could change the country.
cleave + to + belief/principle (figurative loyalty)
The tiny island community cleaved to its old traditions long after the mainland had abandoned them.
cleave + to + tradition/custom (collective loyalty)
After the storm, Felix's wet shirt cleaved to his back as he walked home.
Throughout the war the allies cleaved to one another, refusing to negotiate separately.
The old parchment had cleaved to the inside of the wooden box and tore when lifted.
文法句型
cleave + to + noun (principle / tradition / person)
用法筆記
This sense (ADHERE TO) is the opposite of sense 1 (SPLIT APART), completing the famous 'contranym' pair. This meaning is considerably rarer in modern English and sounds very formal or even biblical. It is almost always used with 'to'. The physical 'stick' meaning is especially uncommon today — use 'stick (to)', 'cling (to)', or 'adhere (to)' instead in ordinary conversation.
常見錯誤
3. to pass through a substance such as air, water, or darkness with speed and force
to pass through a substance such as air, water, or darkness with speed and force, as if cutting a path through it.
The falcon folded its wings and cleaved through the morning air toward its prey.
cleave + through + air (swift motion)
Tariro's voice cleaved the silence of the hospital waiting room with shocking urgency.
cleave + abstract medium (silence, darkness) — sensory penetration
A sleek patrol boat cleaved through the grey harbour water at dawn.
The headlights of Gabriel's truck cleaved a tunnel of light through the thick mountain fog.
A single sharp cry cleaved the stillness of the winter night.
- cut through
the natural everyday equivalent; less literary but same core image
- pierce
focuses on the point of entry rather than the full path through
- slice through
more informal; vivid but common
文法句型
cleave + through + noun (air / water / darkness)
用法筆記
This sense develops metaphorically from sense 1 (SPLIT APART): the image is of something moving so fast or powerfully that it seems to cut a path through whatever it passes. It is used especially in descriptive or literary writing about birds, boats, sounds, and lights.