Meaning & Definition of Shatter in English

Detailed Definitions

• Definition: to break or cause to break suddenly and violently into pieces.

  Example Sentence: The glass shattered into a million pieces.

• Definition: to injure or destroy severely.

  Example Sentence: The sudden death of his friend shattered him emotionally.

• Definition: to interrupt or destroy a plan or hope.

  Example Sentence: Her dreams of becoming a doctor were shattered by her poor grades.

Etymology

Origin: Middle English *shatters*, from Old English *sceat*.

Synonyms

Common Phrases and Expressions

• shatter someone's dreams: to destroy someone's hopes or ambitions.
• shatter the silence: to break a period of quiet with noise.
• shatter one's confidence: to severely damage someone's self-assurance.

Translations

• Spanish: romper

• French: briser

• German: zerbrechen

• Russian: разбивать

Related Words

• fragment: a small part broken off or detached.

• explode: to burst or shatter violently.

• break: to separate into pieces suddenly or violently.

Slang Meanings of shatter

• Meaning: to experience a mental or emotional breakdown.

  Example Sentence: After the breakup, she really felt like she was about to shatter.

• Meaning: to fail dramatically or suddenly.

  Example Sentence: The plans for the trip shattered when they ran out of money.