shred
shred — noun
1. An extremely small quantity of something, used mainly in negative statements or
An extremely small quantity of something, used mainly in negative statements or questions to say that there is none at all.
The detective found not a shred of evidence linking the suspect to the crime.
not a shred of + [noun] — idiom for zero amount
There is not a shred of truth in the rumours that the bakery is closing.
Dahlia has no shred of sympathy for people who lie to get ahead at work.
Without a shred of proof, the accusation was quickly dismissed by the judge.
- not a shred of evidence
- not a shred of truth
- no shred of doubt
- without a shred of proof
Grammar Patterns
not a shred of + [uncountable noun]
Usage Note
This sense is almost always used in negative constructions — the noun shred is rarely found in affirmative statements outside fixed expressions.
Common Mistakes
2. A narrow strip of material, such as paper or fabric, which has been torn or cut
A narrow strip of material, such as paper or fabric, which has been torn or cut off of a larger object.
Jin picked up the shreds of the envelope that his dog had chewed apart.
shreds of + [noun] — physical fragments
The old letters had crumbled into tiny shreds after decades in the attic.
Shreds of blue fabric were caught on the fence where the thief had climbed over.
Marco tore the newspaper into thin shreds to line the bottom of the parrot's cage.
Linh noticed shreds of the poster still stuck to the wall after the rainstorm.
- shreds of paper
- shreds of cloth
- tear into shreds
- cut into shreds
Grammar Patterns
shreds of + [noun]
3. A condition in which cloth, paper, or similar material has been ripped into many
A condition in which cloth, paper, or similar material has been ripped into many small, hanging pieces, leaving it badly damaged.
After the cat clawed the curtains, they were in shreds and had to be replaced.
‘be in shreds’ — describing a ruined physical state
The old flag was in shreds after winter winds at the town hall.
Sana's jeans were torn to shreds when she climbed through the broken window.
The notebook pages were in shreds after the toddler played with them for five minutes.
- torn to shreds
- in shreds
- hang in shreds
Grammar Patterns
in shreds
torn to shreds
Usage Note
Distinguish from sense 4: sense 3 describes literal tearing of material, while sense 4 describes figurative or abstract damage to plans, reputations, or intangible things.
4. A ruined or spoiled state, used figuratively for things such as plans, reputatio
A ruined or spoiled state, used figuratively for things such as plans, reputations, relationships, or careers.
After the scandal, the senator's reputation was in shreds and she decided to retire.
‘in shreds’ — figurative ruin of an abstract thing
Their relationship was in shreds after years of arguments about money.
The company's five-year plan lay in shreds after the sudden change in trade rules.
Emily's confidence was in shreds after her presentation was criticised so harshly by the panel.
- reputation in shreds
- career in shreds
- plans in shreds
- confidence in shreds
Grammar Patterns
in shreds
Usage Note
The collocation 'in shreds' in this sense is always figurative — the subject is not a physical object but an abstract noun such as reputation, career, or plan.
shred — verb
1. To pull or cut paper, cloth, or other thin material into long, narrow pieces by
To pull or cut paper, cloth, or other thin material into long, narrow pieces by using your hands or a tool.
Bao shredded the old love letters and dropped the pieces into the bin.
The chef shredded the carrots into thin strips for the spring rolls.
shred + [food] — shredding vegetables for cooking
Anthony shredded the cardboard box to make packing material for the fragile vase.
The puppy shredded a toilet roll and spread it across the bathroom floor.
- shred paper
- shred documents
- shred vegetables
- shred cabbage
- shred cheese
Grammar Patterns
shred + [noun]
2. To put documents or papers into a special machine that cuts them into thin strip
To put documents or papers into a special machine that cuts them into thin strips so that the information on them cannot be read.
The accountant shreds all client records after keeping them for seven years.
present simple for habitual office procedure
Tara watched the machine shred her old tax returns into thin strips of paper.
The law firm shreds every document that contains personal information about its clients.
Before his move, Nicholas shredded all the bank statements from his desk drawer.
- shred documents
- shred files
- shred records
- shred confidential papers
- shredded by a machine
Grammar Patterns
shred + [noun]
Usage Note
Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 can involve any method of tearing (hands, tools, cooking), whereas sense 2 specifically refers to using a mechanical shredder for document destruction.
Common Mistakes
3. To damage or ruin something so thoroughly that it no longer exists or functions,
To damage or ruin something so thoroughly that it no longer exists or functions, used for abstract things like hopes, plans, or systems.
The earthquake shredded the region's water supply system, leaving millions without clean drinking water.
The new regulations shredded the company's carefully prepared expansion plans.
shred + [abstract noun] — figurative destruction
The storm shredded the island's power grid and it took weeks to repair.
The sudden rise in costs shredded the project's entire budget for the year.
- shred plans
- shred hopes
- shred a budget
- shred a reputation
- shred the system
- destroy
more general; does not carry the violent, ripping image that 'shred' conveys
- wreck
similar level of completeness but less graphic
- annihilate
stronger and more formal; implies total elimination
Grammar Patterns
shred + [noun]
4. To beat an opponent, team, or competitor by a very wide margin in a game, race,
To beat an opponent, team, or competitor by a very wide margin in a game, race, election, or other contest.
The home team shredded their rivals 6–0 in the final match of the season.
shred + [team] + [score] — decisive victory in sports
The incumbent candidate was shredded by a newcomer who had never run for office before.
Emre's chess opponent shredded his defences in fewer than twenty moves.
The defending champions were shredded in the semi-finals and lost by over thirty points.
- shred the opposition
- shred the competition
- get shredded
- shred someone 6–0
- trounce
stronger and more formal; implies a humiliating defeat
- crush
similar level of decisiveness; more common in informal contexts
- annihilate
very strong; implies the opponent had no chance at all
Grammar Patterns
shred + [noun/pronoun]
Usage Note
This sense is informal and common in sports journalism and commentary. It can also extend to business competition (e.g., 'the startup shredded its competitors').
5. To express strong disapproval of a person, idea, policy, or performance by point
To express strong disapproval of a person, idea, policy, or performance by pointing out its faults in a forceful or harsh way.
The food critic shredded the restaurant's new menu in her review for the newspaper.
The opposition MP shredded the government's education policy during the parliamentary debate.
shred + [policy/idea] — harsh public criticism
Valentina's proposal was shredded by the board members who found it far too expensive.
Bloggers shredded the film director's decision to change the ending of the classic story.
- shred a proposal
- shred a policy
- shred someone's argument
- get shredded in the press
Grammar Patterns
shred + [noun/pronoun]
Usage Note
Distinguish from sense 4: sense 4 focuses on defeating in competition, whereas sense 5 focuses on verbal or written criticism of someone's work, ideas, or character.
6. To perform fast, technically difficult passages on an electric guitar, producing
To perform fast, technically difficult passages on an electric guitar, producing a distorted and aggressive sound that is typical of rock and heavy metal music.
Christopher practised scales for years until he could shred like his favourite rock guitarist.
The guitarist shredded a blistering solo that brought the arena crowd to its feet.
shred + [solo] — guitar-performance context
Adina can shred on electric and acoustic guitar, though her fast runs need distortion.
The guitarist shredded a rapid riff that left the audience cheering loudly.
- shred on guitar
- shred a solo
- shred a riff
- shred like a professional
- guitarist who can shred
Grammar Patterns
shred (on) + [instrument]
shred + [solo/riff]
Word family
- shreddedadjectiveB1
- shreddernounB1
- shreddingnounC1
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/1
While 'shred', 'tear', 'rip', and 'slice' all describe dividing a material into pieces, they differ in the method and result. 'Shred' specifically means to produce long, narrow strips, whether by hand, a machine, or a cooking tool — the image is one of thin, ragged pieces. 'Tear' is the most general word: it describes pulling something apart without any particular shape in mind. 'Rip' adds force and speed: you rip a sleeve off a shirt or rip open an envelope. 'Slice' is the opposite — it implies a clean, controlled cut with a sharp blade and produces neat pieces, not torn edges. For example, you would shred cabbage for coleslaw and slice carrots for a salad; you would rip a ticket in half at the gate but tear a letter out of a notebook. Choosing the right verb depends on whether the result is narrow strips (shred), a rough separation (tear), a forceful break (rip), or a clean cut (slice).
Common collocations
Nouns
- paper shredder
- shred of evidence
- shred of truth
- shreds of cloth
- shreds of paper
Adverbs
- finely shredded
- roughly shredded
- completely shredded
- thoroughly shredded
Phrases
- tear to shreds
- in shreds
- not a shred of
- shred to pieces
Prepositions
- shred into
- shred for
Etymology
The word 'shred' comes from Old English 'scrēad' meaning a piece cut off, related to 'scrēadian' (to cut up, prune). It is connected to similar words in Old High German 'scrotōn' (to cut up) and Dutch 'schrooden' (to cut into pieces). The verb sense developed naturally from the noun, and by the late 1900s the word had expanded from literal tearing into figurative uses for destruction, defeat, criticism, and eventually fast guitar playing.