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 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

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

The storms shattered windows, tore off roofs and smashed vehicles in Kankakee. —Arkansas Online, 12 Mar. 2026

The first two attempts failed to break the previous world record, but the third shattered it at 55 seconds. —Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 12 Mar. 2026

Noun

The lid is made of shatter-resistant construction with a magnet that makes for easy opening and closing. —Bestreviews, Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2026

Shortly before serving, the blocks of compressed spuds are portioned and fried until the edges shatter like glass but the interior remains soft. —Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 4 Mar. 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