shatter
Translation
to shatter, to smash, to destroy
Examples
The glass shattered on the floor.
The glass shattered on the floor.
The news shattered her dreams.
The news shattered her dreams.
The impact shattered his leg.
The impact shattered his leg.
Grammar Patterns
((sth.)) shatters (sth.) breaks into many pieces The window shattered from the impact.
to shatter ((sth.)) to cause (sth.) to break into pieces The sound shattered the glass.
to shatter ((sb.'s hopes/dreams)) to completely destroy (sb.'s hopes/dreams) The loss shattered their hopes of winning.
Similar Words
Synonyms: break, smash, destroy; Antonyms: repair, mend, build
Etymology
From Middle English 'schateren', likely of imitative origin, mimicking the sound of something breaking.
Memory Tips
The sound of the word 'shatter' is similar to the sound of glass breaking into many pieces.