shatter
shatter — verb
1. to separate into many small pieces all at once, either on its own or when struck
to separate into many small pieces all at once, either on its own or when struck by something; used especially for hard, rigid materials such as glass, ice, or stone
Jisoo dropped the glass bowl and it shattered on the kitchen floor.
intransitive: object + shatter + prepositional phrase
A loose stone from the hill shattered the car's side window during the storm.
transitive: subject + shatter + direct object
The old mirror shattered into hundreds of tiny pieces when Henry bumped into it.
Aylin watched the ice under her boots shatter as she crossed the frozen pond.
Tyler accidentally shattered the ceramic plate while drying it with a towel.
- smash
suggests more violent force and a loud sound, often with deliberate action
- break
more general — can mean partial or complete damage, not necessarily into many pieces
- splinter
specifically for wood or bone breaking into long thin pieces
- fracture
more formal, often used in medical or geological contexts
文法句型
shatter + object (glass / window / mirror)
object + shatters (intransitive)
shatter + into + (pieces / fragments)
用法筆記
Often used to describe what happens to glass, mirrors, ice, ceramics, and other brittle materials. The intransitive form focuses on the result; the transitive form focuses on the cause.
常見錯誤
2. to put an end to something abstract such as a person's hopes, trust, or confiden
to put an end to something abstract such as a person's hopes, trust, or confidence, or to cause it serious harm; describes something that is completely ruined or comes to nothing
The bad news shattered the family's hopes for a quick recovery.
transitive: shatter + hopes / dreams / trust
After Zayd's mistake caused his team to lose the championship match, his confidence was completely shattered.
passive: be shattered (by something)
When the restaurant closed down, Shanti's dream of becoming a chef was completely shattered.
The political scandal shattered public faith in the local government for years to come.
Ignacio's trust in his partner shattered when he discovered the hidden debts.
- destroy
more general and neutral; can apply to both physical and abstract things
- ruin
implies spoiling something so it can no longer function or be enjoyed
- crush
stronger emotional tone, suggests grinding pressure that flattents hopes
- devastate
suggests total emotional destruction, often with lasting grief
- build
to create or develop trust, confidence, or hopes gradually
- strengthen
to make trust, faith, or confidence stronger
- restore
to bring back hopes or trust after they have been lost
文法句型
shatter + abstract noun (hopes / dreams / trust / confidence)
hopes / dreams / trust + shatter (intransitive)
shatter + noun phrase
用法筆記
Often appears with abstract nouns such as hopes, dreams, trust, confidence, illusions, and faith. The passive form ('hopes were shattered') is very common in both speech and writing. Distinguish from verb sense 1 (BREAK INTO PIECES), which refers only to physical breakage.
常見錯誤
shatter — noun
1. a very small piece that has broken off from a larger hard object, such as glass,
a very small piece that has broken off from a larger hard object, such as glass, stone, or bone
Tariro carefully swept up the shatters of glass from the bathroom floor.
plural: shatters of [material]
Dario found a tiny shatter of blue pottery while digging in the garden.
singular with specific object
The police collected shatters of bone from the crash site as evidence.
Folake noticed a shatter of mirror still stuck in the corner of the wooden frame.
Lotte carefully picked up the shatters of a blue ceramic vase from the workshop floor.
文法句型
a shatter of [material]
shatters of [material]
用法筆記
Less common than 'fragment' or 'shard'. Often used in the plural 'shatters' to refer to scattered pieces from a single broken object.
常見錯誤
2. the state or condition of being shattered, either physically or in terms of plan
the state or condition of being shattered, either physically or in terms of plans or hopes being completely ruined
After the earthquake, the old temple lay in shatters on the hillside.
fixed phrase: in shatters
Ezra's carefully laid plans were in shatters after the bank refused the loan.
metaphorical use: plans + in shatters
After the war, the town's factories and schools lay in shatters, with broken roofs and empty streets.
After the false accusations, Walid stood alone in the empty office cafeteria, his reputation in shatters.
The once-thriving family business was in shatters after the founder retired.
- wholeness
the state of being fully intact and undamaged
文法句型
in shatters
用法筆記
Almost always appears in the fixed expression 'in shatters', which can describe a physical object (a building in ruins) or an abstract thing (plans or hopes that have failed).
常見錯誤
3. a sudden burst or spray of small pieces produced when something breaks violently
a sudden burst or spray of small pieces produced when something breaks violently
A shatter of ice flew across the road as the truck hit the frozen puddle.
a shatter of [material] describing burst
The window burst inward with a shatter of glass that covered the dinner table.
When the hammer hit the old windshield, a shatter of glass flew into the air.
A shatter of glass sprayed across the kitchen when Imran dropped the stack of old bottles.
A shatter of ice flew off the truck's roof when it hit a low bridge on Trang's street.
文法句型
a shatter of [material]
用法筆記
Rare in everyday language. Used mainly in descriptive or literary writing to emphasise the sudden, explosive nature of a breaking event, especially involving glass or ice.