smash

American  

[smash] / smæʃ /

verb (used with object)

• smashes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• smashed,
  past participle,  past
• smashing
  present participle

1. to break to pieces with violence and often with a crashing sound, as by striking, letting fall, or dashing against something; shatter.

   He smashed the vase against the wall.

2. to defeat, disappoint, or disillusion utterly.

3. to hit or strike (someone or something) with force.

4. to overthrow or destroy something considered as harmful.

   They smashed the drug racket.

5. to ruin financially.

   The depression smashed him.

   Synonyms:

   bankrupt

6. Tennis, Badminton, Table Tennis. to hit (a ball or shuttlecock) overhead or overhand with a hard downward motion, causing the shot to move very swiftly and to strike the ground or table usually at a sharp angle.

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verb (used without object)

• smashes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• smashed,
  past participle,  past
• smashing
  present participle

1. to break to pieces from a violent blow or collision.

2. to dash with a shattering or crushing force or with great violence; crash (usually followed by against, into, through, etc.).

3. to become financially ruined or bankrupt (often followed byup ).

4. to flatten and compress the signatures of a book in a press before binding.

noun

• smashes
  plural

1. the act or an instance of smashing or shattering.

   Synonyms:

   crash

2. the sound of such a smash.

3. a blow, hit, or slap.

4. a destructive collision, as between automobiles.

5. a smashed or shattered condition.

6. a process or state of collapse, ruin, or destruction.

   the total smash that another war would surely bring.

7. financial failure or ruin.

8. Informal. smash hit.

9. a drink made of brandy, or other liquor, with sugar, water, mint, and ice.

10. Tennis, Badminton, Table Tennis.

    1. an overhead or overhand stroke in which the ball or shuttlecock is hit with a hard, downward motion causing it to move very swiftly and to strike the ground or table usually at a sharp angle.

    2. a ball hit with such a stroke.

adjective

1. of, relating to, or constituting a great success.

   That composer has written many smash tunes.

smash British  

/ smæʃ /

verb

1. to break into pieces violently and usually noisily

2. to throw or crash (against) vigorously, causing shattering

   he smashed the equipment

   it smashed against the wall

3. (tr) to hit forcefully and suddenly

4. (tr) tennis squash badminton to hit (the ball) fast and powerfully, esp with an overhead stroke

5. (tr) to defeat or wreck (persons, theories, etc)

6. (tr) to make bankrupt

7. (intr) to collide violently; crash

8. to go bankrupt

9. informal to beat someone severely

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noun

1. an act, instance, or sound of smashing or the state of being smashed

2. a violent collision, esp of vehicles

3. a total failure or collapse, as of a business

4. tennis squash badminton a fast and powerful overhead stroke

5. informal

   1. something having popular success

   2. ( in combination )

      smash-hit

6. slang loose change; coins

adverb

1. with a smash

Synonym Usage

See break.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• smashable
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• smashes
  plural

Participles

• smashing
  present
• smashed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• smash
  simple
• smashes
  simple
• have smashed
  perfect
• has smashed
  perfect
• am smashing
  progressive
• are smashing
  progressive
• is smashing
  progressive
• have been smashing
  perfect progressive
• has been smashing
  perfect progressive

Past

• smashed
  simple
• had smashed
  perfect
• was smashing
  progressive
• were smashing
  progressive
• had been smashing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will smash
  simple
• will have smashed
  perfect
• will be smashing
  progressive
• will have been smashing
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of smash

1690–1700; perhaps blend of smack ² and mash ¹

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Explanation

To smash something is to hit or throw it so hard that it breaks or is hurt. It's important to pay careful attention while you're driving so you don't smash into the car in front of you. A running child can smash into her friend and knock her down, and an angry chef can smash a plate by throwing it on the floor. In the latter example, there's the additional meaning of "break into pieces." A smash can be a car accident, but it can also be a "great big success," like a TV series that starts slow but turns out to be a smash. This "hit" meaning dates from 1920s reviews of Broadway plays.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

smash smashes smashed smashing

The wish-granting branch packaged in an eye-catching box is flanked by framed photos of “Obsession,” the small-scale horror film turned global box-office smash to which it is central.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026

Ella Langley's country smash Choosin' Texas has overtaken Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas Is You to become the longest-running number one single in US chart history.

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

She probably won’t smash quite as many skulls as Jack Reacher, but it looks like a decent action show that dads everywhere will enjoy.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026

The smash, covered by Whitney Houston, is Parton’s biggest hit as a songwriter.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026

Let’s be honest here: I was a smash hit!

From "The World According to Humphrey" by Betty G. Birney

Take Anne Hathaway, fresh off a string of box-office smashes in “The Odyssey,” “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” “The End of Oak Street” and “Mother Mary.”

From Salon ● Oct. 9, 2026

The sale smashes the record previously set for a residential real estate deal in the Hualālai, which previously stood at $30.2 million, according to Kildow.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026

The Daily Express says she "smashes it at SW19".

From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026

When a pianist smashes a bunch of keys at once, he replies, from far away, “That’s every note except F sharp.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026

“And you kick it—what? Until it smashes? The winner is the one who smashes the pumpkin?”

From "Invisible Inkling" by Emily Jenkins

In these experiments, heavy ions such as lead are accelerated to nearly the speed of light and smashed together.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026

Bond yields have also smashed through milestone levels where investors often set automated orders known as stop-losses.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

Earlier, Abdul Samad smashed an unbeaten 30 off 15 balls as Pakistan beat Bangladesh with nine balls to spare in a semi-final reduced to 13 overs by a wet outfield.

From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026

I didn’t feel any affinity with the humanoid that smashed Bolt’s 100-meter record, but found the robot weightlifter that crumpled under a 15kg barbell and staggered into a table very relatable.

From Slate ● Sep. 27, 2026

A second hit from outside, though, knocked the chair completely out of the way just as Jack leapt forward and smashed the chair back into place.

From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley

The LHC accelerates protons to tremendous energies before smashing them together.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 23, 2026

Once it was over, Sabalenka could only congratulate her at the net—before retreating to her chair and smashing her racket to pieces.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026

Who could forget Pietersen announcing himself as an international cricketer in the country of his birth in 2005, smashing runs against the Proteas in a one-day series?

From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026

A game called "Flappy Bill" features a bald eagle carrying a document in its claws that tries to avoid smashing into columns of various heights, against a background that resembles Washington DC.

From Barron's ● Sep. 4, 2026

“But you get the job done without smashing anything.”

From "Educated" by Tara Westover

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Related Words

• bang
• belt
• blast
• burst
• collide
• crack
• crash
• crush
• demolish
• fracture
• hit
• shatter
• slam
• trash

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