Smithereen

Pronunciation: /ˈsmɪðəˌrin/

Definitions of smithereen

noun a small piece or fragment, especially of something brittle or shatterable

Example Sentences

A1 The glass fell off the table and broke into smithereens.

A2 I accidentally dropped my phone and it shattered into smithereens.

B1 The explosion reduced the building to smithereens.

B2 The car crash was so severe that the vehicles were torn to smithereens.

C1 The intense storm tore the house to smithereens, leaving nothing but debris.

C2 The impact of the earthquake was so powerful that it turned the city into smithereens.

Examples of smithereen in a Sentence

formal The explosion reduced the building to smithereens.

informal He smashed the vase into smithereens.

slang I'll break your phone into smithereens if you don't stop bothering me.

figurative Her heart was shattered into smithereens after the breakup.

Grammatical Forms of smithereen

• past tense: smithereened
• plural: smithereens
• comparative: more smithereen
• superlative: most smithereen
• present tense: smithereens
• future tense: will smithereen
• perfect tense: have smithereened
• continuous tense: is smithereening
• singular: smithereen
• positive degree: smithereen
• infinitive: to smithereen
• gerund: smithereening
• participle: smithereened

Origin and Evolution of smithereen

First Known Use: 1829 year

Language of Origin: Irish or Scottish Gaelic

Story behind the word: The word 'smithereen' is believed to have originated in Ireland or Scotland, derived from the Irish word 'smidirín' meaning small fragment or piece.

Evolution of the word: Originally used to describe small fragments or pieces, 'smithereen' has evolved to also convey the idea of something being completely destroyed or shattered into tiny pieces.