# shatter

/ˈʃætɝ/ (US) · /ʃˈætɐ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/shatter
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. to break into pieces

verb · CEFR B2

to break suddenly into many very small pieces.

For teachers: to cause something to break suddenly and violently into many small fragments.

- The glass bowl hit the floor and shattered into a thousand tiny pieces.
- The high-velocity impact caused the windshield to shatter instantly, showering the interior of the vehicle with safety glass.

### 2. to destroy hopes or dreams

verb · CEFR B2

to completely destroy something like a dream, a belief, or a feeling.

For teachers: to destroy or ruin an abstract concept, such as a hope, peace, or a reputation.

- The news of the accident shattered her hopes for a peaceful holiday.
- The sudden economic downturn shattered the company's ambitious plans for international expansion within the first quarter.

### 3. to upset someone deeply

verb · CEFR C1 · Informal

to make someone feel very upset, shocked, or tired.

For teachers: to exhaust or emotionally distress someone to the point of collapse.

- The long journey and the bad news completely shattered him.
- Witnessing the devastation of his childhood home left him emotionally shattered for months following the disaster.

### 4. seeds falling

verb · CEFR C2 · Technical

when seeds fall off a plant naturally after they become ripe.

For teachers: to drop seeds prematurely or upon ripening, often used in the context of crop loss.

- If the wheat is not harvested soon, the grain will begin to shatter.
- Agricultural researchers are developing new hybrids that are less prone to shatter during mechanical harvesting in dry conditions.

Usage: The verb is intransitive in this botanical context.

### 5. cannabis concentrate

noun · CEFR C2 · Slang

a hard, glass-like form of cannabis used as a drug.

For teachers: a brittle, translucent cannabis extract produced through specific solvent extraction methods.

- The police seized a large amount of shatter during the raid.
- The potency of shatter is significantly higher than traditional flower, posing different risks for inexperienced users.

## Examples

- The glass will shatter if you drop it on the floor.
- The sudden sound of the explosion caused every window in the street to shatter instantly.
- The unexpected news of the scandal served to shatter the public's trust in the institution, a blow from which the administration struggled to recover for years.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.