river

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A large natural stream of water that flows across land toward a sea, lake, or another river.

   Grammar: Countable: a river, two rivers. When it is part of a name, use 'River' before the name (River Thames) or 'River' after it in American style (Hudson River).

   Patterns

   • the River + name
   • name + River
   • along the river
   • across the river

   The children swam in the river near their grandparents' farm.

   We walked along the river and watched the boats go by.

   The River Nile is one of the longest rivers in the world.

2. 2nouncountablefigurative

   A large amount of something that flows or moves continuously, like a river.

   Grammar: Often used in the pattern 'a river of something' to suggest a steady, heavy flow.

   Patterns

   • a river of something
   • rivers of something

   A river of traffic poured out of the city every evening.

   Tears ran down her face in rivers.

Word forms

Common combinations

river bank

We sat on the river bank and ate our sandwiches.

river valley

The river valley is green and fertile.

cross a river

They crossed the river by bridge.

flow into a river

This small stream flows into a larger river.

down the river

We took a boat down the river.

Synonyms and how they differ

stream

A stream is much smaller than a river; use 'stream' for a narrow flow of water you can easily step across.

creek

A creek is a small stream, often in American or Australian English, not a large river.

waterway

Waterway is a general term for any route of water, including canals and rivers; it is more technical.

Word family

riverbank noun

The land along the side of a river.

riverbed noun

The ground at the bottom of a river.

riverside noun

The area of land next to a river.

Commonly confused: river or stream?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “river”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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