plural noun
informal Small pieces.
- ‘a grenade blew him to smithereens’
- ‘The Golden Dragon is blown into smithereens and pieces of the cargo ship lands into the water after being blown sky high.’
- ‘We can watch movies, in which hundreds of people get blown to smithereens.’
- ‘It would also be legal to use force to enter their house/apartment/hotel room and set about smashing their stereo to smithereens with a hurley.’
- ‘Germany and Japan have both been peaceful, nonviolent countries ever since they were bombed to smithereens in WWII.’
- ‘Officers called to the scene found the old-style red cast iron phone kiosk in smithereens with just the four corner upright supports still standing.’
piece, bit, particle, speck
Origin
Early 19th century probably from Irish smidirín.