shatter-proof

shatter-proof — adjective

1. made so that it will not break into small, sharp pieces when dropped or struck

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

made so that it will not break into small, sharp pieces when dropped or struck

Example

The museum installed shatter-proof display cases to protect the ancient pottery.

attributive: shatter-proof display cases

Felipe bought a shatter-proof phone case after dropping his old phone on the pavement.

Common collocations
  • shatter-proof glass
  • shatter-proof screen
  • shatter-proof case
  • shatter-proof container
  • shatter-proof lens
Synonyms
  • shatter-resistant

    slightly weaker; implies reduced risk of shattering rather than full protection

  • toughened

    technical term for glass that has been heat-treated to resist shattering

  • safety

    used in compounds like safety glass to mean designed not to cause injury if broken

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

shatter-proof + noun

be + shatter-proof

Usage Note

Attributive position (directly before the noun) is the most common pattern: shatter-proof glass, shatter-proof case. Predicative use after be or become (this screen is shatter-proof) is acceptable but less frequent.

Common Mistakes

This cup is shatter-proof, so it can never break.
This cup is shatter-proof, so even if it gets a crack it will not separate into sharp pieces.
shatter-proof means resistant to shattering into fragments, not completely unbreakable.
I need a shatter proof screen protector for my phone.
I need a shatter-proof screen protector for my phone.
the compound adjective requires a hyphen when used before a noun.

Word family

  • shatter
    verbB1
  • shattered
    adjectiveB2
  • shattering
    adjectiveB2
  • shatterproof
    adjectiveB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four terms describe materials that resist breaking, but they differ in strength and context. Shatter-proof implies that the material will not break into sharp fragments, even if it cracks — it is the strongest term in this group. Shatter-resistant is weaker: it means the material is harder to shatter but may still break under enough force. Toughened is a technical term for glass that has been heat-treated or chemically strengthened, and is the manufacturing process behind most shatter-proof glass. Unbreakable is the broadest and least precise term — it suggests nothing can break the object, which is rarely true. Safety glass (as in safety windows or safety lenses) is a product-oriented label that focuses on injury prevention rather than the material property itself. For everyday use, shatter-proof is appropriate for phone cases, screens, and containers; toughened is more natural for engineering and construction contexts.

shatter-resistanttoughenedunbreakablesafety ↗

Etymology

Old EnglishOld FrenchLatinEnglish

Shatter-proof is a compound of 'shatter' (from Old English sceaterian, meaning 'to scatter or split into fragments') and '-proof' (from Old French prove, Latin proba 'a test'; later used in English to form adjectives meaning 'resistant to' or 'protected against'). The combination emerged in the early 1900s alongside the development of safety glass for the automobile industry.