shatter

1 of 2

verb

shat·​ter ˈsha-tər How to pronounce shatter (audio)
shattered; shattering; shatters

transitive verb

1
: to cause to drop or be dispersed
2
a
: to break at once into pieces
b
: to damage badly : ruin
3
: to cause the disruption or annihilation of : demolish

intransitive verb

1
: to break apart : disintegrate
2
: to drop off parts (such as leaves, petals, or fruit)
shatteringly adverb

shatter

2 of 2

noun

1
: fragment, shred
usually used in plural
the broken vase lay in shatters
2
: an act of shattering : the state of being shattered
3
: a result of shattering : shower

Examples of shatter in a Sentence

Verb The rock shattered the window. His dreams were shattered by their rejection. The end of his marriage shattered him emotionally.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Similarly, Philadelphia is on the brink of shattering its record for the longest period without rain, reaching 25 days as of Oct. 24. Abc Climate Unit, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2024 The 2000s had barely begun before 9/11 shattered any further illusions of safety the ’90s had fostered. Richard Newby, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Oct. 2024
Noun
And then Mikey just punts that vase for that last shatter. Ew Staff, EW.com, 24 Oct. 2024 First week of early voting in battleground Georgia 'shatters' records. Fox News, 22 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for shatter 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shatter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English schateren — more at scatter

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

circa 1640, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of shatter was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near shatter

Cite this Entry

“Shatter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shatter. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

shatter

verb
shat·​ter
ˈshat-ər
1
: to break or fall to pieces
the window shattered
2
: to damage badly : ruin, wreck
the bad news will shatter their morale

More from Merriam-Webster on shatter

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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