SMASH

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does smash mean? 

• SMASH (noun)
  The noun SMASH has 5 senses:

1. a vigorous blow

2. a serious collision (especially of motor vehicles)

3. a hard return hitting the tennis ball above your head

4. the act of colliding with something

5. a conspicuous success

  Familiarity information: SMASH used as a noun is common.

• SMASH (verb)
  The verb SMASH has 10 senses:

1. hit hard

2. break into pieces, as by striking or knocking over

3. reduce to bankruptcy

4. hit violently

5. humiliate or depress completely

6. damage or destroy as if by violence

7. hit (a tennis ball) in a powerful overhead stroke

8. collide or strike violently and suddenly

9. overthrow or destroy (something considered evil or harmful)

10. break suddenly into pieces, as from a violent blow

  Familiarity information: SMASH used as a verb is familiar.

• SMASH (adverb)
  The adverb SMASH has 1 sense:

1. with a loud crash

  Familiarity information: SMASH used as an adverb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SMASH (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A vigorous blow

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Synonyms:

bang; bash; belt; knock; smash

Context example:

he got a bang on the head

Hypernyms ("smash" is a kind of...):

blow; bump (an impact (as from a collision))

Derivation:

smash (break into pieces, as by striking or knocking over)

smash (hit hard)

smash (damage or destroy as if by violence)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A serious collision (especially of motor vehicles)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Synonyms:

smash; smash-up

Hypernyms ("smash" is a kind of...):

collision (an accident resulting from violent impact of a moving object)

Domain category:

automotive vehicle; motor vehicle (a self-propelled wheeled vehicle that does not run on rails)

Derivation:

smash (collide or strike violently and suddenly)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A hard return hitting the tennis ball above your head

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

overhead; smash

Hypernyms ("smash" is a kind of...):

return (a tennis stroke that sends the ball back to the other player)

Derivation:

smash (hit (a tennis ball) in a powerful overhead stroke)

Sense 4

Meaning:

The act of colliding with something

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

crash; smash

Context example:

the fullback's smash into the defensive line

Hypernyms ("smash" is a kind of...):

hit; hitting; striking (the act of contacting one thing with another)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "smash"):

impaction; impingement (a sharp collision produced by striking or dashing against something)

Sense 5

Meaning:

A conspicuous success

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

bang; hit; smash; smasher; strike

Context example:

the party went with a bang

Hypernyms ("smash" is a kind of...):

success (an attainment that is successful)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "smash"):

blockbuster; megahit; smash hit (an unusually successful hit with widespread popularity and huge sales (especially a movie or play or recording or novel))

sleeper (an unexpected hit)

• SMASH (verb)

Conjugation:

Sense 1

Meaning:

Hit hard

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

blast; boom; nail; smash

Context example:

He smashed a 3-run homer

Hypernyms (to "smash" is one way to...):

hit (deal a blow to, either with the hand or with an instrument)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

smash (a vigorous blow)

smasher (a person who smashes something)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Break into pieces, as by striking or knocking over

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

dash; smash

Context example:

Smash a plate

Hypernyms (to "smash" is one way to...):

break (destroy the integrity of; usually by force; cause to separate into pieces or fragments)

Verb group:

smash (break suddenly into pieces, as from a violent blow)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "smash"):

blast; knock down (shatter as if by explosion)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sentence example:

They smash the glass tubes

Derivation:

smash (a vigorous blow)

smasher (a person who smashes something)

smashing (the act of breaking something into small pieces)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Reduce to bankruptcy

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

bankrupt; break; ruin; smash

Context example:

The slump in the financial markets smashed him

Hypernyms (to "smash" is one way to...):

impoverish (make poor)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Sense 4

Meaning:

Hit violently

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Context example:

She smashed her car against the guard rail

Hypernyms (to "smash" is one way to...):

hit; strike (drive something violently into a location)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody PP
Somebody ----s something PP

Sense 5

Meaning:

Humiliate or depress completely

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Synonyms:

crush; smash

Context example:

The death of her son smashed her

Hypernyms (to "smash" is one way to...):

abase; chagrin; humble; humiliate; mortify (cause to feel shame; hurt the pride of)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Sense 6

Meaning:

Damage or destroy as if by violence

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

bang up; smash; smash up

Context example:

The teenager banged up the car of his mother

Hypernyms (to "smash" is one way to...):

damage (inflict damage upon)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

smash (a vigorous blow)

smasher (a person who smashes something)

Sense 7

Meaning:

Hit (a tennis ball) in a powerful overhead stroke

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "smash" is one way to...):

hit (cause to move by striking)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

smash (a hard return hitting the tennis ball above your head)

Sense 8

Meaning:

Collide or strike violently and suddenly

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

The motorcycle smashed into the guard rail

Hypernyms (to "smash" is one way to...):

clash; collide (crash together with violent impact)

Sentence frames:

Something is ----ing PP
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

smash (a serious collision (especially of motor vehicles))

Sense 9

Meaning:

Overthrow or destroy (something considered evil or harmful)

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Context example:

The police smashed the drug ring after they were tipped off

Hypernyms (to "smash" is one way to...):

demolish; destroy (defeat soundly and humiliatingly)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 10

Meaning:

Break suddenly into pieces, as from a violent blow

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

The window smashed

Hypernyms (to "smash" is one way to...):

break; come apart; fall apart; separate; split up (become separated into pieces or fragments)

Verb group:

dash; smash (break into pieces, as by striking or knocking over)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

• SMASH (adverb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

With a loud crash

Synonyms:

smash; smashingly

Context example:

the car went smash through the fence

 Context examples 

It had been smashed to atoms where it stood.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I struck the door of the state-room which had formerly been Mugridge’s, splintering and smashing the panels with the impact of my body.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

The astronomers propose that around eight to 10 billion years ago, an unknown dwarf galaxy smashed into our own Milky Way.

(The Gaia Sausage: the major collision that changed the Milky Way, University of Cambridge)

Sometimes he was under, sometimes on top. At all times he was in violent motion, now being turned over or around, and again, being smashed against a rock.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

"No, thank you. I'd rather not. I shall drop it or smash it, as sure as fate."

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

"And the bamboo grows through his smashed ribs," said Summerlee.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The glass smashed into a thousand pieces and the fruit rolled about into every corner of the room.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

A dozen times he charged, and as often the club broke the charge and smashed him down.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

Canoe smash and stop right at Dawson.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

The crater formed less than 3 million years ago, according to the study, when an iron meteorite more than half a mile wide smashed into northwest Greenland.

(Unexpected Discovery Under Greenland Ice, NASA)