smash

[smash] /smæʃ/
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.
verb (used without object)
7.
to break to pieces from a violent blow or collision.
8.
to dash with a shattering or crushing force or with great violence; crash (usually followed by against, into, through, etc.).
9.
to become financially ruined or bankrupt (often followed by up).
10.
to flatten and compress the signatures of a book in a press before binding.
noun
11.
the act or an instance of smashing or shattering.
12.
the sound of such a smash.
13.
a blow, hit, or slap.
14.
a destructive collision, as between automobiles.
15.
a smashed or shattered condition.
16.
a process or state of collapse, ruin, or destruction:
the total smash that another war would surely bring.
17.
financial failure or ruin.
18.
Informal. smash hit.
19.
a drink made of brandy, or other liquor, with sugar, water, mint, and ice.
20.
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.
adjective
21.
of, relating to, or constituting a great success:
That composer has written many smash tunes.
Origin
1690-1700; perhaps blend of smack2 and mash
Related forms
smashable, adjective
Synonyms
1. See break. 5. bankrupt. 11. crash.
Examples from the web for smash
  • The only permanent solution is to smash the pirates' onshore infrastructure and to pursue and destroy their ships at sea.
  • Surprisingly, this gentle deterrent even works on her dogs, which used to lie down in these areas and smash her plants.
  • Hold the egg in your hand so you don't smash it to smithereens on the table what with all the pressure of the poking.
  • Conviction of this will smash everything that opposes it.
  • smash a whole wagon load of furniture at every performance.
  • The paddles smash too easily, and the boat is then disabled.
  • These guys were measuring the light produced by high energy particles called cosmic rays as they smash into the atmosphere.
  • When galactic cosmic rays enter the atmosphere, they smash into nuclei forming various kinds of exotic by-products.
  • It would take only a moment to smash it against the wall and shove the battery up the nose of whoever was out there annoying her.
  • We feel we're floating only because we're forever falling, as in an elevator with no bottom floor to smash into.
British Dictionary definitions for smash

smash

/smæʃ/
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 shattering: he smashed the equipment, it smashed against the wall
3.
(transitive) to hit forcefully and suddenly
4.
(transitive) (tennis, squash, badminton) to hit (the ball) fast and powerfully, esp with an overhead stroke
5.
(transitive) to defeat or wreck (persons, theories, etc)
6.
(transitive) to make bankrupt
7.
(intransitive) to collide violently; crash
8.
(intransitive) often foll by up. to go bankrupt
9.
(informal) smash someone's face in, to beat someone severely
noun
10.
an act, instance, or sound of smashing or the state of being smashed
11.
a violent collision, esp of vehicles
12.
a total failure or collapse, as of a business
13.
(tennis, squash, badminton) a fast and powerful overhead stroke
14.
(informal)
  1. something having popular success
  2. (in combination): smash-hit
15.
(slang) loose change; coins
adverb
16.
with a smash
See also smash-up
Derived Forms
smashable, adjective
Word Origin
C18: probably from sm(ack² + m)ash
Word Origin and History for 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.

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").

Slang definitions & phrases for smash

smash

noun
  1. A total failure; a disaster, esp a financial collapse (1839+)
  2. (also smash hit) A great success; hit: Key Largo is an unqualified smash (1923+ Show business)
  3. Wine (1959+ Black)