shredding

Meanings

1. 1noununcountable

   The act of tearing or cutting something into long thin pieces.

   Grammar: Uncountable, so no plural; use it with 'the' or on its own: 'Shredding takes time.'

   Patterns

   • the shredding of something
   • shredding of documents

   The shredding of old bank statements took all afternoon.

   Wear gloves for the shredding of the cardboard.

   Shredding is the first step in recycling that paper.

2. 2noununcountableinformal

   A form of exercise in which a person trains very hard to lose fat and build muscle.

   Grammar: Uncountable and informal in fitness writing; often used with 'get into' or 'do'.

   Patterns

   • do shredding
   • get into shredding

   He got into shredding last summer and lost ten pounds.

   Her shredding routine mixes weights with short sprints.

3. 3verbtransitive or intransitive

   Present participle of shred: cutting or tearing something into thin strips.

   Grammar: This is the -ing form of the verb 'shred'; it can take an object or stand alone.

   Patterns

   • be shredding something
   • shredding documents

   She is shredding the old bills right now.

   The machine keeps shredding the paper into thin strips.

4. 4noununcountableinformalmusic

   In guitar playing, a fast, highly skilled style of soloing with very quick notes.

   Grammar: Uncountable and used among musicians; usually appears with 'some' or 'a lot of'.

   Patterns

   • do some shredding
   • a lot of shredding

   His shredding on the last track amazed the crowd.

   The song opens with some serious shredding.

Common combinations

document shredding

The office pays for document shredding once a month.

shredding machine

Put the receipts in the shredding machine.

shredding exercise

Shredding exercises are popular in gym classes.

get into shredding

She got into shredding after a friend invited her to the gym.

shredding guitar solo

The band finished with a shredding guitar solo.

Synonyms and how they differ

tearing

Focuses on pulling something apart by force, while shredding suggests cutting or tearing into many thin strips.

cutting

A general word for dividing with a blade; shredding is narrower and means making long thin pieces.

ripping

Similar to tearing but more forceful and often about fabric or paper, not a planned task.

Opposites

Word family

shred verb

To cut or tear into thin strips.

shred noun

A small thin piece torn from something.

shredder noun

A machine that cuts paper into thin strips.

Commonly confused: shredding or shredder?

Practice

Make it your own

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

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