smithereens

plural noun

smith·​er·​eens ˌsmi-t͟hə-ˈrēnz 

: small broken pieces : fragments, bits

the vase was in smithereens on the floor

—usually used in phrases like blow to smithereens or smash to smithereens

Roughly once a second, a star somewhere in the universe explodes. Some of these stars are blown to smithereens, strewing ashes through space.

—Ron Cowen

Within less than a decade, foreign invaders with horses, gunpowder, and lethal diseases had smashed their empire to smithereens.

—Niall Ferguson

He felt a plunk on the back of his neck as the snowball smashed to smithereens just above his coat collar.

—Mordecai Richler

Don't tell that guy blasting rampaging zombies to smithereens in his favorite video game that he's getting lessons in efficient decision making.

—Bruce Bower

Did you know?

Despite its American sound and its common use by the fiery animated cartoon character Yosemite Sam, smithereens did not originate in American slang. Although no one is entirely positive about its precise origins, scholars think that smithereens likely developed from the Irish word smidiríní, which means "little bits." That Irish word is the diminutive of smiodar, meaning "fragment." According to print evidence, the plural form smithereens first appears in English in the late 18th century; use of singular smithereen then follows.

Examples of smithereens in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Viktoriia Markova, whose home in Chernihiv was smashed to smithereens by an artillery shell, was recently given a small shelter in her backyard for her, her husband and teenage son. —Jeffrey Gettleman, New York Times, 19 Sep. 2022

Harry retasked the fighter to target a nearby barn instead, pretending to blow it to smithereens. —Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 13 Jan. 2023

When Rs propose some spending cuts, Ds demagogue it to smithereens. —Theodoric Meyer, Washington Post, 13 Jan. 2023

This latest setup, which utilized a technique called inertial confinement fusion, involved blasting fusion fuel into smithereens with lasers. —Mike Pearl, The New Republic, 14 Dec. 2022

Word History

Etymology

perhaps from Irish smidiríní

First Known Use

1795, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing smithereens

• blow to smithereens
• smash to smithereens

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Kids Definition

smithereens

plural noun

smith·​er·​eens ˌsmit͟h-ə-ˈrēnz 

: small broken pieces : bits