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smash-up

[smash-uhp]
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noun
  1. a complete smash, especially a wreck of one or more vehicles.
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Origin of smash-up

1855–60, Americanism; noun use of verb phrase smash up

smash

[smash]
verb (used with object)
  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.
  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)
  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 by up).
  4. to flatten and compress the signatures of a book in a press before binding.
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noun
  1. the act or an instance of smashing or shattering.
  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.
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adjective
  1. of, relating to, or constituting a great success: That composer has written many smash tunes.
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Origin of smash

1690–1700; perhaps blend of smack2 and mash1
Related formssmash·a·ble, adjective

Synonyms

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5. bankrupt. 11. crash.

Synonym study

1. See break.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

disasterburstslamblowdownfallwreckbreakupruinbreakingsockboomcrackwhamwhackbreakdowncrashcollapsefailurebangwallop

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British Dictionary definitions for smash-up

smash-up

noun
  1. a bad collision, esp of cars
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verb smash up
  1. (tr, adverb) to damage to the point of complete destructionthey smashed the place up
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smash

verb
  1. to break into pieces violently and usually noisily
  2. (when intr, foll by against, through, into, etc) to throw or crash (against) vigorously, causing shatteringhe 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. (intr often foll by up) to go bankrupt
  9. smash someone's face in 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
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adverb
  1. with a smash
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See also smash-up
Derived Formssmashable, adjective

Word Origin

C18: probably from sm (ack ² + m) ash
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for smash-up

n.

"collision," 1841, from verbal phrase; see smash (v.) + up (adv.).

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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.

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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").

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper