Definition of smash in English:

smash

verb

1with object Violently break (something) into pieces.
‘the thief smashed a window to get into the car’
‘gone are the days when he smashed up hotels’
- ‘A crowd of youths ran riot on The Inch estate, engaging in running street battles, smashing windows and breaking into cars.’
- ‘Thieves had attempted to break through the front door of building before smashing a stained glass window.’
- ‘Barry takes out his frustration by breaking and smashing things or randomly bursting into tears.’
- ‘They then smashed their playstation, broke the kitchen table in bits and ripped up a load of magazines and threw the pages all over the ground.’
- ‘But, after cutting through a wire fence and then smashing a window the thieves stole a box containing the pictures, two generators and a disabled ramp.’
- ‘Less than 90 minutes later, thieves smashed a window at Colchester Optical Centre in Red Lion Yard and snatched designer glasses from a display.’
- ‘Nothing was taken but thieves smashed a driver's-side window to gain entry to the car.’
- ‘And earlier this month New Road Methodist Chapel in Heys Lane, Blackburn, fell victim to vandals who smashed stained glass windows.’
- ‘The first few of them came into our garden, right to our front door, where they picked up a large filled flowerpot, took it a few yards up the road and smashed it to pieces.’
- ‘The offender smashed a plate glass window to enter the premises.’
- ‘After seeing a hand at the bedroom window he smashed the glass and reached inside, briefly touching someone's fingers.’
- ‘They were rescued when firemen put ladders up to the bedroom window, smashed the glass and guided the trio to safety.’
- ‘After realising there was no money or valuables to be taken, they smashed another stained glass window.’
- ‘He said the thieves had smashed the windows and shutters, and damaged pictures on walls inside the unit.’
- ‘Schoolchildren have been left devastated after their new Wendy house was smashed up by yobs.’
- ‘He got his ladder and climbed up to the window where Sarah had smashed the glass.’
- ‘Keith Moon would throw his drumsticks into the audience and Pete Townshend would smash his guitar to pieces.’
- ‘In the overnight rioting, about 100 attackers set fire to Redfern railway station, torched a car and smashed windows.’
- ‘He gets aggressive and smashes things and shouts a lot.’
- ‘In the past year windows have been smashed, practice nets damaged and the clubhouse daubed with graffiti.’
break, break to pieces, smash to smithereens, shatter
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1. 1.1no object Be violently broken into pieces; shatter.
  ‘the glass ball smashed instantly on the pavement’
  ‘The mirror shattered instantly, smashing to the ground with a thunderous crash.’
  ‘The glass shattered as it smashed against the floorboards.’
  ‘Calissa fell to the floor, her glass of wine smashing into a hundred pieces.’
  ‘And then the back panel of the frame fell out and the glass fell onto the floor and smashed into a million pieces.’
  ‘Anyway as I was doing it I knocked a glass lamp from a small table and it smashed to tiny pieces on the parquet floor, it made a huge bang.’
  ‘Modern safety standards require shatterproof glass, which won't smash into sharp shards - but older furniture may well have plain glass.’
  ‘She dropped her glass on the floor watching it as it smashed into 1,000 pieces.’
  ‘The mirror smashed, sending pieces of tiny glass in every direction and littering the ground.’
  ‘He whacked the nail so hard on the head, it smashed into pieces.’
  ‘Instead, they all toppled over the side of the counter, smashing into billions of pieces onto the floor.’
  ‘Before I realise it the glass has left my hand and reaches the middle of the room, smashing to pieces on the floor.’
  ‘Something was thrown at the ground and smashed into pieces.’
  ‘He reached over and caught it before it smashed into a million pieces without spilling a drop.’
  ‘He leapt to another roof, just as a large rock smashed into pieces on the ground where he was.’
  ‘The plate smashed into three pieces as he flung it at the television.’
  ‘Stine slammed an already small piece of tile quite harshly onto the board causing it to smash into billions of pieces.’
  ‘His large, meaty hand grabbed the lamp and he threw it at the wall, causing it to smash into a million pieces.’
  ‘It smashed on the hard floor, and I stepped back to avoid the broken pieces on my bare feet.’
  ‘He jumped with the shock of the noise, dropping his torch to the floor where the lens and bulb smashed on the hard floor with a single spark of power.’
  ‘When the plate is smashed into hundreds of pieces, we do not find that one piece contains the bird's wing, and another piece the bird's beak.’
  break, break to pieces, smash to smithereens, shatter
  View synonyms
2. 1.2Violently knock down or crush inwards.
  ‘soldiers smashed down doors’
  ‘Twice in the past five years, in different parts of Britain, I have been in a gay pub when the window has been smashed in, on one occasion showering me and my drink with broken glass.’
  ‘When Gardaí returned to the vehicle, three of its windows had been smashed in with rocks.’
  ‘They then smashed down a shutter but were unable to gain access to the safe because it was time-locked and they were forced to leave empty-handed.’
  ‘Officers smashed down the door of a flat in Westbourne Grove, Southend, at around 2am after blocking the street with patrol cars.’
  ‘He did a war dance down the track as he had Trevor White caught at first slip by Byas and another jig followed when he smashed down Iain Sutcliffe's stumps to end the day.’
  crash into, collide with, be in collision with, hit, strike, ram, smack into, slam into, bang into, plough into, meet head-on, run into, drive into, bump into, crack against, crack into
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3. 1.3Crash and severely damage (a vehicle)
  ‘my Land Rover's been smashed up’
  ‘Police and tax officials watched stunned as a white van man smashed up his vehicle on a York street rather than hand it over to road tax enforcers.’
  ‘Thousands of pounds of damage has been inflicted on her property - her car has been smashed up more than a dozen times.’
  ‘She says that the insurance inspector has evidence that all the times that he's smashed up the car over the last year haven't been accidents.’
  crash, wreck
  View synonyms
4. 1.4Hit or attack (someone) very violently.
  ‘Donald smashed him over the head’
  ‘Lads were taking turns to give him a right going over, smashing him in the face with weapons and stamping on him.’
  ‘He was pretty horrible so I hope that I smashed him over the head with something heavy, grabbed my car keys and made a swift getaway, but you never know with dreams.’
  ‘A struggle ensued and he was smashed over the head with a revolver.’
  ‘Another man then appeared and smashed him across his left arm with an iron cosh, before dragging him out and throwing him to the ground.’
  ‘He smashed him across the face and then when he was down starting kicking him.’
  ‘In May a wind sail mast smashed her in the face, leaving her traumatised and minus some teeth.’
  ‘She was left with black eyes after a fellow inmate smashed her in the face with a plastic mug.’
  ‘I would love to smash her in the face with a mallet.’
  ‘I also learned how to smash someone's face in with a bar, and the correct boots to wear to kick, severely damage and vandalize private property.’
  ‘He threatened to smash me in the face with the grill.’
  ‘The Celtic defender appeared to smash Paul Fenwick across the face in a first-half clash missed by referee Alan Freeland but captured by Sky TV cameras.’
  ‘Last week, two officers who worked with Rhodes testified that they saw Rhodes drive Zhao's head into the pavement and smash her in the side of the head with his knee.’
  ‘They respond by kicking him and smashing him repeatedly from behind with an iron pipe until he is on the restraining conveyor belt that carries him to the stunner.’
  ‘Sometimes they would use tricks like bringing you gently to the mat and smashing you down at the last moment.’
  ‘She grabbed his arm and swung him through the air, smashing him back down into the ground again.’
  ‘Then the man turns to Six as Six smashes him in the face with his gun.’
  ‘He pulled his gun and smashed her in the head with it.’
  ‘No sooner had these words passed his lips when a figure wearing a black cloak smashed him full-force into the snow and raised a dagger above his throat.’
  ‘They were waiting for us and smashed us into the ground.’
  ‘Pavel smashed him in the face with the back of his hand.’
  hit, strike, thump, punch, cuff, smack, thwack
  View synonyms
5. 1.5Easily or comprehensively beat (a record)
  ‘he smashed the course record’
  ‘He started in the red and ran accordingly, smashing the course record despite carrying 62 kg.’
  ‘It had been a devastating blow: until that moment she had been more than five days ahead of schedule and on course to smash the record.’
  ‘The Midlander, who smashed the course record with a 61 in the first round, is attached to the club and his caddie, Roy Robinson, is a member of Hopwood.’
  ‘Murphy also smashed the course record at Shrigley on his way to winning the club championship and he has often proved unbeatable on the Macclesfield course.’
  ‘Moseley had earlier set the clubhouse target after smashing the course record by two shots with a flawless 63.’
  ‘He smashed a long standing record o 29: 78 that Cape Prince held since about 1995.’
  ‘A bare-footed Zola Budd smashed the 5, 000m record at Crystal Palace athletics stadium’
  ‘We had suspected that all records must have been smashed on the night and this was confirmed when the betting figures were revealed.’
  ‘Young songsters from York and North Yorkshire have smashed the Guinness World Record for the largest ever simultaneous sing.’
  ‘After he smashed the Bolton Association record for runs in a season, Bazid Khan is now looking to break into the Pakistan cricket team.’
  ‘Without last weekend's appalling weather, he reckoned that all attendance records would have been smashed.’
  ‘Which US adventurer smashed the round-the-world sailing record by six days?’
  ‘BOX office records have been smashed during the first week of Ulverston's Charter Festival.’
  ‘A rugby league superkid from York is in line to smash a British try-scoring record set by Wigan Warriors star Simon Haughton.’
  ‘It struck both Mr Chan's and Miss Holden's cars before smashing through the crash barrier, plunging 60 ft to the bank of the Weaver Navigation canal below.’
  ‘A Mid-Essex care Trust has smashed Government targets by getting a waiting list for assessments down to zero.’
  ‘After smashing the £600,000 target a year ahead of schedule, the appeal launched its second phase to reach £1m.’
  ‘Dairy Crest has raised £190,000 in just five months, well and truly smashing their initial annual target of £50,000.’
  ‘The numbers smashed its 100,000 minimum target for lottery funding and compare favourably with Scotland's top attractions.’
  ‘TWO sisters suffering from the same genetic illness could be on the road to a cure this year, thanks to fundraisers who are within a whisker of smashing a £160,000 target.’
6. 1.6Completely defeat, destroy, or foil (something regarded as hostile or dangerous)
  ‘a deliberate attempt to smash the trade union movement’
  ‘I know that a lot of people in Yorkshire will always blame Nottinghamshire for the outcome but the man who smashed the greatest union this country has ever seen was Arthur Scargill.’
  ‘The Howard government was involved in a conspiracy with stevedoring companies to smash the Maritime Union of Australia several years ago.’
  destroy, wreck, ruin, shatter, dash, crush, devastate, demolish, blast, blight, wipe out, overturn, torpedo, scotch
  View synonyms
7. 1.7informal, dated no object (of a business) go bankrupt; fail financially.
  ‘a firm that had smashed for so tremendous an amount’
2no object, with adverbial of direction Move so as to hit or collide with something with great force and impact.
‘their plane smashed into a mountainside’
- ‘Rain is slashing slantwise, mixing with spray from waves smashing into jetty walls.’
- ‘As he fell face-first his mouth smashed against the hard corner of the table, chipping a front tooth.’
- ‘As the waves smashed against the pillars of the floating barge, I noticed the driftwood that was totally at the mercy of the current.’
- ‘Sobirin, 36, was sleeping at around 8 p.m. when the strong current smashed through the walls of his home.’
- ‘She and her husband and two children escaped with cuts and bruises after a wave smashed through the windscreen of their van.’
- ‘It then smashed head on into a tree, breaking it in half, before ploughing into some railings.’
- ‘At Galveston, at the storm's northern edge, waves smashed over the 17-foot seawall that guards the city from the gulf.’
- ‘The fight was over when his face smashed into the hard floor.’
- ‘Her arm stopped her head from smashing into the hard pavement.’
- ‘Sheids got a nice surge and floated effortlessly in and around the back of the jump off rock, scrambling up onto it before the next wave smashed into it sending a huge plume of spray into the air.’
- ‘In fact, we're going to take just a little bit of a look down the beach; you can see the waves smashing into the beach.’
- ‘An elderly couple caught up in the Asian tsunami while holidaying in Sri Lanka have spoken about their terror as the giant killer waves smashed into their luxury resort.’
- ‘A couple who flew into Manchester Airport told of their miracle escape after a 20 ft tidal wave smashed into their Sri Lankan hotel.’
- ‘She shot down the road backwards before smashing into the wall of a front garden five doors down the street.’
- ‘The man stepped around a corner, and Ralier barreled after him, smashing into the wall as he turned.’
- ‘Frank Davies, aged 79, was showered with flying masonry as he lay in his bed when the Mazda smashed into the bedroom wall of the bungalow.’
- ‘Look at the sheer force of the waves as they smashed into the coast line just feet from the road.’
- ‘He told her Jamie, who had been visiting the resort with his Thai wife Noi, had been taken to hospital with broken ribs after the waves smashed into his beachside hut.’
- ‘Fierce headwinds driving against currents produced steep-fronted waves that smashed into the fleet as it struggled to reach the finish line.’
- ‘More than 30 people were taken to hospital yesterday after a crowded underground train smashed into a tunnel wall when it derailed in central London.’
collide with, hit, run into, bang into, crash into, smash into, smack into, crack into, ram into, be in collision with, plough into
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1. 2.1with object and adverbial of direction (in sport) strike (the ball) or score (a goal, run, etc.) with great force.
  ‘he smashed home the Tranmere winner’
  ‘O'Neill bagged the first of his five goals when smashing the ball to the back of the Roanmore net with a fine effort after receiving a pass from Michael King and this goal came after nine minutes.’
  ‘The third goal was scored by Charlotte Bolan, who smashed the ball in after Nicola Rawlinson's shot had been blocked by a defender.’
  ‘Then Kahn makes a wonder save with his legs as Roberto Carlos's low cross is deflected to Ronaldo, who twists on a sixpence and smashes the ball towards the goal.’
  ‘Ten minutes later Mick Ward turned his defender on the edge of the penalty box and smashed the ball into the top corner.’
  ‘Close to half time Silsden took the lead when defender, Katherine Wust smashed the ball into the top of the net from a corner.’
2. 2.2with object (in tennis, badminton, and similar sports) strike (the ball or shuttlecock) downwards with a hard overarm volley.
  ‘Woosnam is at the top of a sport that has changed enormously since he first played, a determined farmer's boy who loved to smash the ball as hard as he could.’
  ‘Someone passed me the ball, I jumped up as high as possible and smashed the ball as hard as I could.’
  ‘Lucas smashed his squash ball hard against the wall with his racket.’

noun

1An act or sound of something smashing.
‘he heard the smash of glass’
- ‘Shrugging Antonio started to walk by the room when he heard the smash of something that sounded like glass.’
- ‘Then, I heard the smash of someone breaking the small pane of glass next to the door.’
- ‘Miss Ul Haq said Syed put his hands up to protect himself, she heard a smash and Mr Derbsyhire ran into the pub.’
- ‘Her neighbour heard a smash and ran out to see the boys running away from his car, the window was smashed.’
- ‘Miss Ul Haq said she heard a smash, Mr Derbyshire ran into the pub and Syed was in shock.’
- ‘Any humour in the retreat was abruptly shattered by the loud smash of a plate glass window by an excitable ram who was wilfully battering his head into it.’
- ‘There was a fast drop in temperature, a creaking sound echoed throughout the room, and then a smash.’
- ‘The sudden smash of something glass forewarned he was returning past the bathroom.’
- ‘The truck did a quick roll and landed with a crashing smash onto its side.’
- ‘Victor braced himself, ducked and leaped to the ogre's side as the hammer crashed into the ground with a loud smash.’
breaking, shattering, crashing, crash
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1. 1.1British A violent collision or impact between vehicles.
  ‘a car smash’
  ‘If we had capsized we would have had to survive the impact of a car smash, get out, and then get to the boat.’
  ‘A woman lies trapped in an upturned station wagon, numb from the impact of a car smash.’
  ‘Police said the car was forced on to its side by the impact of the smash, but the driver made off when the vehicle fell back onto four wheels.’
  ‘Friends of a teenager who died in a car smash have called on the driver, who disappeared after the accident, to give himself up.’
  ‘A driver has died after a horror smash in which his car careered off a quiet country road.’
  ‘In a separate accident two women were fighting for their lives in hospital after their car collided with another vehicle in a head-on smash in Rochdale.’
  ‘The father-of-two was killed on June 10 in a smash with another vehicle when he was driving to Denver airport.’
  ‘A MAN has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving after two people died and a third was seriously injured in a car smash.’
  ‘Two men had a miracle escape after surviving a smash which turned a car into a fireball’
  ‘There was a smash on the motorway this morning and so there was a lengthy delay.’
  ‘This Friday we go straight to the train smash in New South Wales.’
  ‘A Chapmanslade motorist lost control of his van in a snowstorm moments before he was killed in a head-on smash, an inquest heard on Monday.’
  ‘Neither of the friends was wearing a seat belt and they could have been watching a dashboard DVD system when the smash took place, an inquest heard.’
  ‘She was involved in a horrific smash, crashing into two cars which had already been involved in an accident.’
  ‘Crashes can often be predicted long before the eventual smash.’
  ‘And if you think about it, what makes up the cost of motor premiums is the cost of fixing smashes, and the cost of parts keeps going up because a lot of them are imported, the exchange rate impacts on that.’
  ‘There is going to be a smash; it's too late to avoid it; let the other lot stay in the driver's seat for now.’
  ‘The worst crash in the Western Bay in 17 months claimed the lives of three men in a head-on smash near Te Puke yesterday.’
  ‘The accident rate on the Ipswich Motorway is so bad that motorists using the road have up to a 50/50 chance of being delayed because of a smash on any given day.’
  ‘A call has been made for a complete overhaul of school transport safety after more than 50 children were involved in a horror smash on Friday afternoon.’
  crash, multiple crash, car crash, collision, multiple collision, accident, car accident, road accident, traffic accident, road traffic accident, bump
  View synonyms
2. 1.2A violent blow.
  ‘a forearm smash’
  ‘So we may look forward once again to the forearm smash being deployed at the line-out by the master of that particular black art.’
  ‘The Duke took this as a good sign and attempted to walk around the Marvel once more and was met for his troubles with a forearm smash to the chest that almost knocked him off his feet.’
  ‘A forearm smash from Richard Morales earned him an instant red.’
  ‘Players get launched into the air, take forearm smashes, and land with such force, gamers will grimace for weeks at the wreck of bodies left in its wake.’
  ‘Playoffs hockey can be blunt, like a forearm smash to the chin.’
3. 1.3A stroke in tennis, badminton, and similar sports in which the ball or shuttlecock is hit downwards with a hard overarm volley.
  ‘A smash in badminton is more like a punch in boxing than a smash in tennis.’
  ‘In tennis, there is the forehand, the backhand, the overhead smash and the drop volley, all with a different grip.’
  ‘Henman attacks Sanchez's serve from the outset and gets the first break of the match with a chip and charge, a deft volley and an impressive smash.’
  ‘The second-youngest of IG Made Sumandra and Asni Anggraini's four children said that she preferred using rallies and lobs to make up for her powerless smashes in winning a point.’
  ‘After some long serving from Christine Dunne and a great smash from Aodainn Crowe, the sides were level at 10-10.’
2
(also smash hit)
informal A very successful song, film, show, or performer.
‘a box office smash’
- ‘The ad, for John Smith's bitter, sees Kay return to his table with a tray of drinks in a packed nightclub as the crooner performs his smash hit Release Me.’
- ‘When he auditioned he did not realise until later that the backing track he had recorded at the audition was the smash hit Lola.’
- ‘The smash hit disco film is to finish a 17-week run at Studio 1 and 2.’
- ‘The film was a smash hit, garnering nine Academy Award nominations, including one for Best Picture.’
- ‘Felim is best known for his part as actor and musician on the smash hit film ‘The Commitments’.’
- ‘Supported by innovative marketing, the film was a smash hit.’
- ‘The film was a smash hit and the dancers have high hopes that the ballet version of the drama will repeat that success in China.’
- ‘That the film has been a smash hit in its homeland Sweden only proves that its characterisations are rock solid.’
- ‘Though the film was not a smash hit during its theatrical run, I believe it will garner a vast and appreciative audience on DVD.’
- ‘A smash hit at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Head Games transfers to the Oval House Theatre, from Wednesday, February 12.’
- ‘The show was such a smash in London that Mendes revived it in Manhattan in 1998 where it became a phenomenon.’
- ‘Gerry Rafferty - he of the 1970s smash Baker Street - is selling up in the town before he has even moved in.’
- ‘Jonathan Antin is the face of the smash Bravo series ‘Blow Out’ and the name behind a line of hair care products.’
- ‘Buster Poindexter released his cover version three years later, which went on to become an international smash.’
- ‘It has been a dance-floor smash ever since Tall Paul dropped the track last year at London's super club Turnmills.’
- ‘The London production of The Producers - starring Nathan Lane on short notice - seems to be a smash.’
- ‘The brothers danced together in the smash Broadway revue Eubie! in 1978 and again on the big screen in Cotton Club.’
- ‘Various songs could make huge singles, but ‘Girl’ in particular, a rolling guitar rave as ode to summer, looks like a viable smash.’
- ‘Two years later, the show was a smash; it introduced dance crazes like the Bunny Hop, and Horn had received an award from TV Guide.’
- ‘There's a new movie based on a hit Broadway play that was based on an earlier movie about a Broadway play that's supposed to flop, but it's an unexpected smash.’
great success, sensation, sell-out, triumph
View synonyms
3A mixture of spirits (typically brandy) with flavoured water and ice.
‘Have a smash of the brandy before it's all gone.’
4informal, dated A bankruptcy or financial failure.
‘The consequence, as you might surmise, was an impressive series of financial smashes in my early twenties.’

adverb

With a sudden, violent shattering.
‘they were together for an instant, and then smash it was all gone’

Phrases

go to smash

informal, dated

Be ruined or destroyed.
‘he sees the community going to smash’
- ‘To paraphrase the poem, ‘When faith and reason clash, let reason go to smash!’’

Origin

Early 18th century (as a noun): probably imitative, representing a blend of words such as smack, smite with bash, mash, etc..

Pronunciation

smash

/smaʃ/