Meaning & use

shatter

verb·Academic

To break suddenly and violently into many small pieces.

See it in a sentence

The vase shattered into fragments when it slipped from her hands.

The news of the layoffs shattered the confidence of the entire office.

A note on using this word

Shatter is often used figuratively for hopes, dreams, or confidence being suddenly and completely destroyed.

Words with a similar meaning

smashbreak

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

mend

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