shatter

1 of 2

verb

shat·​ter ˈsha-tər How to pronounce shatter (audio)
shattered; shattering; shatters
Synonyms of shatternext

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 adverb

shatter

2 of 2

noun

1
: fragment, shred
usually used in plural
the broken vase lay in shatters
2
: an act of shattering : the state of being shattered
3
: a result of shattering : shower

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Twice, Liverpool shattered their transfer record last summer with the £100million purchase of Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen, potentially rising to £116m with add-ons, followed by the £125m deal for Alexander Isak from Newcastle United after an acrimonious summer-long saga. James Pearce, New York Times, 28 May 2026 This Avs team once felt inevitable, but the past week shattered that. Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 27 May 2026
Noun
The product is widely used to manufacture a range of shatter-resistant acrylic materials such as Plexiglas, as well as resins, coatings and adhesives. Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 25 May 2026 The backboard is shatter-resistant, and there are two 4-inch foam basketballs designed for kids. Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for shatter

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of shatter was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shatter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shatter. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.

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

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