shatter

shatter — verb

1. to separate into many small pieces all at once, either on its own or when struck

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB2
Definition

to separate into many small pieces all at once, either on its own or when struck by something; used especially for hard, rigid materials such as glass, ice, or stone

Example

Jisoo dropped the glass bowl and it shattered on the kitchen floor.

intransitive: object + shatter + prepositional phrase

A loose stone from the hill shattered the car's side window during the storm.

transitive: subject + shatter + direct object

Common collocations
  • glass shatters
  • window shattered
  • shatter into pieces
  • shatter on impact
  • shatter against the floor
Synonyms
  • smash

    suggests more violent force and a loud sound, often with deliberate action

  • break

    more general — can mean partial or complete damage, not necessarily into many pieces

  • splinter

    specifically for wood or bone breaking into long thin pieces

  • fracture

    more formal, often used in medical or geological contexts

Antonyms
  • mend

    to repair something that has broken

  • fuse

    to join separate pieces together into one solid unit

Grammar Patterns

shatter + object (glass / window / mirror)

object + shatters (intransitive)

shatter + into + (pieces / fragments)

Usage Note

Often used to describe what happens to glass, mirrors, ice, ceramics, and other brittle materials. The intransitive form focuses on the result; the transitive form focuses on the cause.

Common Mistakes

The glass cracked into many pieces.
The glass shattered into many pieces.
'crack' means a line of damage appears, but the object does not separate into pieces.
I shattered the cup but it did not break.
I cracked the cup but it did not break.
If the object is still whole, use 'crack', not 'shatter'.

2. to put an end to something abstract such as a person's hopes, trust, or confiden

2.verbtransitive / intransitiveB2
Definition

to put an end to something abstract such as a person's hopes, trust, or confidence, or to cause it serious harm; describes something that is completely ruined or comes to nothing

Example

The bad news shattered the family's hopes for a quick recovery.

transitive: shatter + hopes / dreams / trust

After Zayd's mistake caused his team to lose the championship match, his confidence was completely shattered.

passive: be shattered (by something)

Common collocations
  • shatter hopes
  • shatter dreams
  • shatter trust
  • shatter confidence
  • shatter faith
  • dreams shattered
  • hopes were shattered
Synonyms
  • destroy

    more general and neutral; can apply to both physical and abstract things

  • ruin

    implies spoiling something so it can no longer function or be enjoyed

  • crush

    stronger emotional tone, suggests grinding pressure that flattents hopes

  • devastate

    suggests total emotional destruction, often with lasting grief

Antonyms
  • build

    to create or develop trust, confidence, or hopes gradually

  • strengthen

    to make trust, faith, or confidence stronger

  • restore

    to bring back hopes or trust after they have been lost

Grammar Patterns

shatter + abstract noun (hopes / dreams / trust / confidence)

hopes / dreams / trust + shatter (intransitive)

shatter + noun phrase

Usage Note

Often appears with abstract nouns such as hopes, dreams, trust, confidence, illusions, and faith. The passive form ('hopes were shattered') is very common in both speech and writing. Distinguish from verb sense 1 (BREAK INTO PIECES), which refers only to physical breakage.

Common Mistakes

The loud noise shattered my attention.
The loud noise shattered my concentration.
'shatter' is not used with 'attention'; use it with 'concentration', 'focus', or 'calm'.
She shattered the glass on the floor.' (when you mean she broke her hopes)
Her hopes shattered when she failed.
Use the physical sense for physical objects and the metaphorical sense for abstract things.

shatter — noun

Word family

  • shattered
    adjectiveB2
  • shattering
    adjectiveC1
  • shatters
    nounC1
  • unshattered
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All five words describe damage to solid objects, but they differ in the type of break and the force involved. 'Shatter' means to break into many small pieces at once — it applies mainly to brittle materials like glass, ice, and ceramics, and often suggests an instantaneous, complete breakup. 'Smash' implies violent force and a loud crashing sound; you can smash something deliberately (smash a car window to escape) or accidentally. 'Break' is the most general word — it covers everything from a cracked cup to a snapped branch, and the object may remain in one piece. 'Crack' specifically means a line or split appears on the surface without the object separating into pieces (a cracked windshield still holds together). 'Splinter' describes breaking into long, thin, sharp pieces, typically of wood or bone. For example: the glass shattered when it hit the tiles; a thief smashed the shop window; Ezra broke the handle off the mug; the heat cracked the ceramic bowl; the old chair splintered under Dario's weight.

shatter ↗smash ↗break ↗crack ↗splinter

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • shatter into pieces
  • shatter into smithereens
  • shatter on impact

Prepositions

Etymology

GermanicMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'shatter' comes from Middle English 'schateren,' which may have developed from an unrecorded Old English word related to the Dutch 'schateren' (to burst out laughing) and the German 'schmettern' (to crash or smash with force). It has been used in English since the 1300s to describe the sudden breakup of hard materials. The metaphorical use (shattering hopes or dreams) appeared in the 1700s.