Meaning & use
shatterproof
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivenot comparable
made so strong that it does not break into sharp pieces when hit.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after be: shatterproof glass; the screen is shatterproof. It has no comparative form.
Patterns
- shatterproof glass
- shatterproof screen
- be shatterproof
The phone has a shatterproof screen, so a drop rarely cracks it.
Safety goggles are made of shatterproof plastic for use in the lab.
They fitted shatterproof windows along the whole ground floor.
noununcountabletechnical
a material or coating that stops glass from breaking into loose pieces.
Grammar: Rare and technical; usually you meet this word as an adjective instead.
Patterns
- apply shatterproof
- a layer of shatterproof
Workers applied a shatterproof to the bus shelter panels.
The windshield uses a shatterproof that holds the glass together on impact.
Common combinations
- shatterproof glass
- Shatterproof glass is required in doors near schools.
- shatterproof screen
- Her new phone came with a shatterproof screen.
- shatterproof lens
- These sunglasses have shatterproof lenses for sport.
- virtually shatterproof
- The case is virtually shatterproof, even in cold weather.
Synonyms and how they differ
- unbreakable
- Stronger and broader: it means nothing can break it at all, while shatterproof only promises it will not break into sharp fragments.
- toughened
- Used mainly of glass that has been heat-treated; shatterproof is the everyday word and can describe plastic too.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: shatterproof or bulletproof?
shatterproof vs bulletproof
Bulletproof means it stops bullets; shatterproof only means it does not break into dangerous pieces.
Practice
Which sentence uses shatterproof correctly?
Choose one answer.
Shatterproof is a non-gradable adjective, so it describes the glass after 'is'. It has no verb use (B, C) and no comparative form (D).
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “shatterproof”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.