shatter

B2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈʃæt.ɚ/ UK /ˈʃæt.ə(ɹ)/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like chatter /tʃ/ vs /ʃ/

Freq #14086

Meanings

1

verb
To break suddenly into many small pieces.

The wine glass slipped from her hand and shattered on the floor.
2

verb
To cause something to break into many small pieces.

The explosion shattered every window in the building.
3

verb
To destroy or badly damage something such as hopes, plans, or peace.

The news of his death shattered the whole family.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

shiver

Word family

Forms shatteredshatteringshatters

Derived forms antishatterear-shatteringearth-shatteringearthshatteringheart-shatteringnonshattershatterableshatterboxshatterbrainedshattercaneshatterershatterpated

Etymology

From Middle English schateren (“to scatter, dash”), an assibilated form of Middle English scateren ("to scatter"; see scatter), from Old English scaterian, from Proto-Germanic *skat- (“to smash, scatter”), perhaps ultimately imitative. Cognate with Dutch schateren (“to burst out laughing”), Low German schateren, Albanian shkatërroj (“to destroy, devastate”). Doublet of scatter.

schateren Middle English scaterian Old English *skat- Proto-Germanic

View etymology graph ->

External links

# shatter

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈʃæt.ɚ/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈʃæt.ə(ɹ)/
**Frequency rank:** 14086

## Meanings
1. To break suddenly into many small pieces.
2. To cause something to break into many small pieces.
3. To destroy or badly damage something such as hopes, plans, or peace.

## Examples
- The wine glass slipped from her hand and shattered on the floor.
- The explosion shattered every window in the building.
- The news of his death shattered the whole family.

## Synonyms
- shiver

## Derived Forms
- antishatter
- ear-shattering
- earth-shattering
- earthshattering
- heart-shattering
- nonshatter
- shatterable
- shatterbox
- shatterbrained
- shattercane
- shatterer
- shatterpated

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: schateren
- Root: scaterian
- Root: *skat-

## Etymology
From Middle English schateren (“to scatter, dash”), an assibilated form of Middle English scateren ("to scatter"; see scatter), from Old English scaterian, from Proto-Germanic *skat- (“to smash, scatter”), perhaps ultimately imitative. Cognate with Dutch schateren (“to burst out laughing”), Low German schateren, Albanian shkatërroj (“to destroy, devastate”). Doublet of scatter.

## AI Etymology
Shatter is from Middle English schateren (“to scatter, dash”), an assibilated form of Middle English scateren ("to scatter"; see scatter), from Old English scaterian, from Proto-Germanic *skat- (“to smash, scatter”), perhaps ultimately imitative. Cognate with Dutch schateren (“to burst out laughing”), Low German schateren, Albanian shkatërroj (“to destroy, devastate”). Doublet of scatter. Important forms in the word's history include Middle English schateren, Old English scaterian, Proto-Germanic *skat-. In current use it includes senses such as To break suddenly into many small pieces and To cause something to break into many small pieces.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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shatter

Meanings

Thesaurus

Etymology

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