shatter

1 of 2

verb

shat·​ter ˈsha-tər 

shattered; shattering; shatters

transitive verb

1

: to cause to drop or be dispersed

2

a

: to break at once into pieces

b

: to damage badly : ruin

3

: to cause the disruption or annihilation of : demolish

intransitive verb

1

: to break apart : disintegrate

2

: to drop off parts (such as leaves, petals, or fruit)

shatteringly

ˈsha-tə-riŋ-lē 

adverb

shatter

2 of 2

noun

1

: fragment, shred

—usually plural

the broken vase lay in shatters

2

: an act of shattering : the state of being shattered

3

: a result of shattering : shower

Synonyms of shatter

Verb

• destroy
• ruin
• demolish
• devastate
• smash
• wreck

Examples of shatter in a Sentence

Verb

The rock shattered the window.

His dreams were shattered by their rejection.

The end of his marriage shattered him emotionally.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Record breaker Purdue kicker Jacobo-Echeverria Lozano shattered the school's single-season record for a freshman with his first of five field goals Saturday. — CBS News, 8 Nov. 2026

But it was beset by issues from the start, including when Musk invited someone to hurl a ball at a supposedly unbreakable window on stage, and the glass shattered. — Victoria Craw, Washington Post, 6 Nov. 2026

Noun

During a demonstration, Tesla's chief designer, Franz von Holzhausen, threw a metal ball at the truck's supposedly shatter-resistant windows. — Alex Backus, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2026

In reality, there are no heroes and no glory, only worlds that collapse and dreams that shatter. — Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English schateren — more at scatter

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

circa 1640, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing shatter

• shatter cone

Rhymes for shatter

• atter
• batter
• blatter
• catarrh
• chatter
• clatter
• fatter
• flatter
• hatter
• latter
• matter
• natter

Kids Definition

shatter

verb

shat·​ter

ˈshat-ər

1

: to break or fall to pieces

the window shattered

2

: to damage badly : ruin, wreck

the bad news will shatter their morale