Meaning & use
smashed it
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Meanings
phrasefixed phraseinformalslang
Did something extremely well, often something difficult or important such as a test, a speech or a performance.
Grammar: Used after a subject, often alone as praise: you smashed it!
Patterns
- someone smashed it
- smashed it at something
You smashed it in that interview; they were all smiling.
My sister smashed it on stage last night.
He smashed it in his driving test and passed with no faults.
phrasefixed phrase
Hit or struck something so hard that it broke into pieces.
Grammar: Here it is literal, and it is the past tense of smash with a real object: she smashed it with a hammer.
Patterns
- smashed it with something
- smashed it to pieces
The vase was ugly, so he smashed it with a hammer.
When the old television stopped working, she smashed it in frustration.
The ball hit the window and smashed it.
Common combinations
- absolutely smashed it
- The whole team absolutely smashed it this season.
- totally smashed it
- You totally smashed it in the presentation.
- smashed it today
- She smashed it today at the swim meet.
- smashed it out of the park
- He smashed it out of the park with his new song.
- smashed it first time
- Dan smashed it first time on the practice exam.
Synonyms and how they differ
- nailed it
- Nailed it stresses doing something exactly right, while smashed it stresses doing it with great force or style.
- aced it
- Aced it is most natural for tests and exams, whereas smashed it works for almost any performance.
- killed it
- Killed it is even more slangy and often used about shows, jokes or sports, so it can sound too casual in some groups.
Opposites
Word family
- smash verb
- to break violently or to succeed hugely, in slang
- smash hit noun
- an extremely successful film, song or show
- smashing adjective
- British old-fashioned word for excellent
Commonly confused: smashed it or smashed?
smashed it vs smashed
On its own, smashed can mean very drunk in British and American slang, which is a different meaning from 'smashed it'.
Practice
Priya practised for months, and her piano recital went perfectly. Her teacher said, 'You really ___!'
Choose one answer.
Smashed it is slang for doing something very well. The other options do not carry that meaning of success.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “smashed it”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.