often attributive
1
a
: a natural stream of water of usually considerable volume
b
2
a
: something resembling a river
a river of lava
b
rivers plural
: large or overwhelming quantities
drank rivers of coffee
see also:
Examples of river in a Sentence
The raft is too small to use on this part of the river.
Rivers of mud flowed down the hillside.
Recent Examples on the Web
The best way to verify its status is to float the scenic river by canoe, tube, or kayak.
—
Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 19 May 2026
If, for David Lynch, ideas are like fish in a river, then for Danish provocateur Nicolas Winding Refn, those ideas are like chunks of excrement in an exploded sewage pipe.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 19 May 2026
Houston’s research, however, pins the initial discovery to the Guatemalan side of the river.
—Leigh Anne Miller, ARTnews.com, 19 May 2026
Although the rain has slowly come to an end Tuesday morning, river flooding continues to be a concern in parts of the region.
—Kansas City Star, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for river
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 19 May 2026
If, for David Lynch, ideas are like fish in a river, then for Danish provocateur Nicolas Winding Refn, those ideas are like chunks of excrement in an exploded sewage pipe.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 19 May 2026
Houston’s research, however, pins the initial discovery to the Guatemalan side of the river.
—Leigh Anne Miller, ARTnews.com, 19 May 2026
Although the rain has slowly come to an end Tuesday morning, river flooding continues to be a concern in parts of the region.
—Kansas City Star, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for river
Cite this Entry
“River.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/river. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
river
noun
riv·er
ˈriv-ər 
1
: a natural stream of water larger than a brook or creek
2
: a large stream or flow
the jet stream is a river of air
Etymology
Middle English rivere "river," from early French rivere (same meaning), derived from Latin riparius "related to or located on the bank of a river," from ripa "shore"
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