shred

1 of 2

noun

ˈshred How to pronounce shred (audio)
 especially Southern  ˈsred
1
a
: a long narrow strip cut or torn off
b
shreds plural : a shredded, damaged, or ruined condition
a reputation torn to shreds
2
: particle, scrap
not a shred of evidence

shred

2 of 2

verb

shredded; shredding; shreds
1
transitive : to cut or tear (something) into shreds
shredded the documents
2
transitive : demolish sense 2
… sharp lawyers shredding hapless witnesses on live television …Charles Krauthammer
3
intransitive : to come apart in or break into shreds
The cloth had shredded.
4
a
intransitive : to ski or engage in a board sport (such as snowboarding, skateboarding, or surfing) with exceptional skill
At its regular meeting Monday, the Cullman City Council signed off on constructing a place where skateboarders can … shred … and ollie to their hearts' content.Benjamin Bullard
b
transitive : to shred on (a surface)
For fans of snow sports, Beach Mountain Resort, Sugar Mountain Resort and Appalachian Ski Mountain offer sweet powdery slopes to shred.Luke Weir
At one point, Paul was thought by many to be the best surfer on the planet, a guy who had the rare ability to totally shred waves with radical moves and yet do it very gracefully and with a beautiful flowing style.Corky Carroll
5
transitive + intransitive : to play an electric guitar with great skill and speed
She shreds on guitar and has the voice of an angel.Rachel Stone
… this child musician has to be able to shred the guitar at an adult, professional level.Kerry Clawson
6
transitive archaic : to cut off
shredder noun

Examples of shred in a Sentence

Noun The wallpaper is in shreds. His reputation was in shreds after the arrest. He struggled to retain a shred of his dignity. Verb Shred the cabbage and add it to the salad. shredded some cooked chicken for the soup
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
That base is thoroughly blended with thick, soft spaghetti noodles and big shreds of pork that have a great smoky bite. Robert F. Moss, Southern Living, 8 Mar. 2024 The beef fans out into shreds between your teeth as star anise, cardamom, lemongrass, galangal and other spices tingle your tongue and nose with peppery and vaguely floral notes. The Indianapolis Star, 25 Jan. 2024 Rossiter, who was found to have a similar blood alcohol level, can recall only shreds of the crash: A bright orange glow. Talia Trackim, Washington Post, 13 Feb. 2024 This time, Lopez is turning the tables and seems intent on sharing every shred of their love while Affleck grudgingly follows along. Stephen Rodrick, Variety, 13 Feb. 2024 The razor-sharp teeth produce finer shreds than a traditional box or rotary grater. Belle Duchene, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Feb. 2024 Propaganda at its finest, as in both cases, usually contains a shred of truth. Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 1 Feb. 2024 On Thursday night, any shred of restraint went up in actual smoke, delivering the fantasy and poetry my generation had been promised by the fashion industry. Mark Guiducci, Vogue, 29 Jan. 2024 For some, the hanging shreds of velvet that covered their antlers becomes a sudden irritation, and as the velvet dries and peels away, bucks and bulls will assist the process by rubbing their antlers against brushy vegetation and small saplings. Scott Bestul, Field & Stream, 10 Jan. 2024
Verb
The slow-roasted beef was shredded and topped with a ladle of poppy chimichurri, which helped cut all the richness of the dish. Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 5 Mar. 2024 Many get items get recycled or shredded, but many also end up in landfills. Abby Ferguson, Popular Science, 28 Feb. 2024 Much of the waste is still incinerated, but items composed of useful plastics, including containers stuffed with syringes and surgical tools wrapped in packaging, are identified, shredded and converted into building materials. Ted Alcorn, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2024 Maddie Ziegler chose a vintage Alexander McQueen gown that was beautifully shredded. Christian Allaire, Vogue, 25 Feb. 2024 Then this week, county spokesman Andy Hyland confirmed the election office finished shredding ballots and accompanying documents from the 2019, 2020 and 2021 elections. Sarah Ritter, Kansas City Star, 22 Feb. 2024 Shredded zucchini shares the limelight with the orzo; it can be quickly shredded using the shredding disk of a food processor. Cathy Thomas, Orange County Register, 13 Feb. 2024 On stage, the band is like a Renaissance painting come to life as Morris flits about in a corseted dress while delivering a powerhouse vocal performance and Roberts shreds on the guitar in sky-high heels. Ellise Shafer, Variety, 2 Feb. 2024 In India, mechanical recycling (shredding and re-spinning) of cotton-rich factory offcuts is already well established, and building out more advanced chemical recycling to produce higher quality fibers is a logical 'upgrade' and growth opportunity for this existing supply chain. Brooke Roberts-Islam, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shred.' 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

Noun

Middle English shrede, from Old English scrēade; akin to Old High German scrōt piece cut off

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of shred was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near shred

Cite this Entry

“Shred.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shred. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

shred

1 of 2 noun
1
a
: a long narrow piece cut or torn off : scrap
shreds of cloth
b
plural : a shredded, damaged, or ruined condition
the loss tore his confidence to shreds
reputation was in shreds
2
: a small amount : bit
not a shred of evidence

shred

2 of 2 verb
shredded; shredding
: to cut or tear into shreds
shred paper
shred cabbage
shredder noun

More from Merriam-Webster on shred

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