Shattered Means Broken, or Simply Exhausted
To shatter is to break into many pieces. In British English, being shattered means being very tired indeed.
To shatter is to break suddenly into many pieces. British informal English uses the past participle for tiredness: *I'm shattered* means exhausted, not injured. The figurative sense also covers hopes, records and illusions, all of which break the same way.
- To break into pieces. *The glass shattered.*
- To destroy utterly. *Shattered his confidence.*
- Exhausted (British informal). *I am absolutely shattered.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | shatter | Shatter the myth. |
| Past | shattered | Shattered glass. |
| Adjective | shattering | A shattering blow. |
| Adjective | shatterproof | Shatterproof lenses. |
| Related | scatter | Scatter the pieces. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The windscreen shattered on impact.Toughened glass breaks into blunt pieces.
- The news shattered them.Emotional.
- I am shattered after that walk.British: worn out.
Breaking words
- Shatter — break into many small pieces
- Smash — break violently
- Crack — split without separating
- Splinter — break into sharp fragments
- Shard — one piece of shattered material
A Middle English word, probably a variant of *scatter*. The two are closely related in form and were once used almost interchangeably.
Why does toughened glass break into small cubes?
Because it is heat-treated so the surface is in compression. When it fails, the stored stress breaks the whole sheet into blunt fragments.
Is *shattered* meaning tired used in America?
Rarely. Americans say exhausted, wiped out or beat. Shattered for tiredness is chiefly British and Irish.