a complete smash, especially a wreck of one or more vehicles.
Origin of smash-up
1855–60,Americanism; noun use of verb phrase smash up
smash
[smash]
verb (used with object)
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.
to defeat, disappoint, or disillusion utterly.
to hit or strike (someone or something) with force.
to overthrow or destroy something considered as harmful: They smashed the drug racket.
to ruin financially: The depression smashed him.
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.
verb (used without object)
to break to pieces from a violent blow or collision.
to dash with a shattering or crushing force or with great violence; crash (usually followed by against, into, through, etc.).
to become financially ruined or bankrupt (often followed by up).
to flatten and compress the signatures of a book in a press before binding.
noun
the act or an instance of smashing or shattering.
the sound of such a smash.
a blow, hit, or slap.
a destructive collision, as between automobiles.
a smashed or shattered condition.
a process or state of collapse, ruin, or destruction: the total smash that another war would surely bring.
a drink made of brandy, or other liquor, with sugar, water, mint, and ice.
Tennis, Badminton, Table Tennis.
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.
a ball hit with such a stroke.
adjective
of, relating to, or constituting a great success: That composer has written many smash tunes.
(tr, adverb)to damage to the point of complete destructionthey smashed the place up
smash
verb
to break into pieces violently and usually noisily
(when intr, foll by against, through, into, etc) to throw or crash (against) vigorously, causing shatteringhe smashed the equipment; it smashed against the wall
(tr)to hit forcefully and suddenly
(tr)tennissquashbadmintonto hit (the ball) fast and powerfully, esp with an overhead stroke
(tr)to defeat or wreck (persons, theories, etc)
(tr)to make bankrupt
(intr)to collide violently; crash
(intr often foll by up) to go bankrupt
smash someone's face ininformalto beat someone severely
noun
an act, instance, or sound of smashing or the state of being smashed
a violent collision, esp of vehicles
a total failure or collapse, as of a business
tennissquashbadmintona fast and powerful overhead stroke
"collision," 1841, from verbal phrase; see smash (v.) + up (adv.).
smash
v.
1759, "break to pieces," earlier "kick downstairs" (c.1700), probably of imitative origin (cf. smack (v.), mash (v.), crush (v.)). Meaning "act with crushing force" is from 1813; that of "strike violently" is from 1835. Tennis sense is from 1882. Smash-and-grab (adj.) is first attested 1927.
smash
n.
1725, "hard blow," from smash (v.). Meaning "broken-up condition" is from 1798; that of "failure, financial collapse" is from 1839. Tennis sense is from 1882. Meaning "great success" is from 1923 ("Variety" headline, Oct. 16, in reference to Broadway productions of "The Fool" and "The Rise of Rosie O'Reilly").
