What does "smash" mean?
The sound of a violent impact; a violent striking together.
Smash
/smæʃ/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Top 500 ·Elementary level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The sound of a violent impact; a violent striking together.
- Grammar: smash is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: bang, crash, hit, abrade.
- Useful contrasts: unbroken, lobed, bombs.
- Usage evidence: The people are like children: they must smash everything to see what is inside.
How to use "smash"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "smash" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "smash" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "smash" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "smash" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "smash" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "bang" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "smash", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The sound of a violent impact; a violent striking together. countable, uncountable
"I could hear the screech of the brakes, then the horrible smash of cars colliding."
- 2 a conspicuous success wordnet
- 3 A traffic collision. Ireland, UK, colloquial, countable, uncountable
"The driver and two passengers were badly injured in the smash."
- 4 the act of colliding with something wordnet
- 5 Something very successful or popular (as music, food, fashion, etc). colloquial, countable, uncountable
"This new show is sure to be a smash."
Show 10 more definitions
- 6 a hard return hitting the tennis ball above your head wordnet
- 7 A very hard overhead shot hit sharply downward. countable, uncountable
"A smash may not be as pretty as a good half volley, but it can still win points."
- 8 a serious collision (especially of motor vehicles) wordnet
- 9 A bankruptcy. archaic, colloquial, countable, uncountable
"Supposing a man has for the space of a month carried on trade in a showy shop in Cheapside, and then comes a smash, — is he not to be held a trader within the bankrupt law, because no one can swear that he has traded for four months?"
- 10 a vigorous blow wordnet
- 11 A disaster; a bad situation. archaic, colloquial, countable, uncountable
"“There’s nowhere else to go to now, for the people at the Cripples are all in custody, and the bar of the ken—I went up there and see it with my own eyes—is filled with traps.” “This is a smash,” observed Toby, biting his lips. “There’s more than one will go with this.”"
- 12 A mashed foodstuff. countable, uncountable
"[…] the saltbush dukkah, avocado and feta smash."
- 13 A kind of julep cocktail containing chunks of fresh fruit that can be eaten after finishing the drink. countable, uncountable
- 14 Airspeed; dynamic pressure. countable, informal, uncountable
"Then, for Horner's red team, it became just a matter of gaining sufficient smash (airspeed) to convert on them and film them with gun cameras."
- 15 Destruction. archaic, uncountable
"I went back with him to the Admiral Benbow, and you cannot imagine a house in such a state of smash; the very clock had been thrown down by these fellows in their furious hunt after my mother and myself; […]"
Verb
- 1 To break (something brittle) violently. transitive
"The demolition team smashed the buildings to rubble."
- 2 break suddenly into pieces, as from a violent blow wordnet
- 3 To be destroyed by being smashed. intransitive
"The crockery smashed as it hit the floor."
- 4 break into pieces, as by striking or knocking over wordnet
- 5 To hit extremely hard. transitive
"He smashed his head against the table."
Show 14 more definitions
- 6 overthrow or destroy (something considered evil or harmful) wordnet
- 7 To ruin completely and suddenly. figuratively, transitive
"The news smashed any hopes of a reunion."
- 8 hit with great force wordnet
- 9 To defeat overwhelmingly; to gain a comprehensive success over. figuratively, transitive
"The Indians smashed the Yankees 22-0."
- 10 collide or strike violently and suddenly wordnet
- 11 To deform through continuous pressure. US, transitive
"I slowly smashed the modeling clay flat with the palm of my hand."
- 12 hit (a tennis ball) in a powerful overhead stroke wordnet
- 13 To have sex with. slang, transitive, vulgar
"Would you smash her?"
- 14 damage or destroy as if by violence wordnet
- 15 Synonym of go to smash (“to go to ruin; to fail disastrously”). archaic, intransitive, slang
""What would have become of the gems had the bank smashed?" asked Marie in a timid and rather tearful voice, for it was a terrible thought to think that her dreams might dissolve into thin air."
- 16 humiliate or depress completely wordnet
- 17 To pass counterfeit money. Ireland, UK, obsolete, slang
- 18 hit violently wordnet
- 19 reduce to bankruptcy wordnet
Adverb
- 1 with a loud crash wordnet
Example
"The people are like children: they must smash everything to see what is inside."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "smash"?
Common synonyms include: bang, crash, hit, abrade, accident, annihilate.
How do you use "smash" in a sentence?
The people are like children: they must smash everything to see what is inside.
How do you pronounce "smash"?
Pronounced /smæʃ/.
Etymology
Uncertain, probably of onomatopoeic origin. Compare Swedish smask (“to smack with the lips”), dialectal Swedish smaska (“to smack, kiss”), Danish smaske (“to smack with the lips”), Low German smaksen (“to smack with the lips, kiss”).