SMASH

Pronunciation (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does smash mean? 

• SMASH (noun)
  The noun SMASH has 5 senses:

1. a vigorous blow
2. a serious collision (especially of motor vehicles)
3. a hard return hitting the tennis ball above your head
4. the act of colliding with something
5. a conspicuous success

  Familiarity information: SMASH used as a noun is common.

• SMASH (verb)
  The verb SMASH has 10 senses:

1. hit hard
2. break into pieces, as by striking or knocking over
3. reduce to bankruptcy
4. hit violently
5. humiliate or depress completely
6. damage or destroy as if by violence
7. hit (a tennis ball) in a powerful overhead stroke
8. collide or strike violently and suddenly
9. overthrow or destroy (something considered evil or harmful)
10. break suddenly into pieces, as from a violent blow

  Familiarity information: SMASH used as a verb is familiar.

• SMASH (adverb)
  The adverb SMASH has 1 sense:

1. with a loud crash

  Familiarity information: SMASH used as an adverb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SMASH (noun)

Sense 1

smash [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

A vigorous blow

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Synonyms:

bang; bash; smash; knock; belt

Context examples:

the sudden knock floored him / he took a bash right in his face / he got a bang on the head

Hypernyms ("smash" is a kind of...):

blow; bump (an impact (as from a collision))

Sense 2

smash [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

A serious collision (especially of motor vehicles)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Synonyms:

smash-up; smash

Hypernyms ("smash" is a kind of...):

collision (an accident resulting from violent impact of a moving object)

Domain category:

automotive vehicle; motor vehicle (a self-propelled wheeled vehicle that does not run on rails)

Sense 3

smash [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

A hard return hitting the tennis ball above your head

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

smash; overhead

Hypernyms ("smash" is a kind of...):

return (a tennis stroke that sends the ball back to the other player)

Sense 4

smash [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

The act of colliding with something

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

smash; crash

Context examples:

his crash through the window / the fullback's smash into the defensive line

Hypernyms ("smash" is a kind of...):

hit; hitting; striking (the act of contacting one thing with another)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "smash"):

impaction; impingement (a sharp collision produced by striking or dashing against something)

Sense 5

smash [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

A conspicuous success

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

hit; smasher; bang; smash; strike

Context examples:

that song was his first hit and marked the beginning of his career / that new Broadway show is a real smasher / the party went with a bang

Hypernyms ("smash" is a kind of...):

success (an attainment that is successful)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "smash"):

blockbuster; megahit; smash hit (an unusually successful hit with widespread popularity and huge sales (especially a movie or play or recording or novel))

sleeper (an unexpected hit)

• SMASH (verb)

Sense 1

smash [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Hit hard

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

smash; blast; boom; nail

Context example:

He smashed a 3-run homer

Hypernyms (to "smash" is one way to...):

hit (deal a blow to, either with the hand or with an instrument)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 2

smash [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Break into pieces, as by striking or knocking over

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

dash; smash

Context example:

Smash a plate

Hypernyms (to "smash" is one way to...):

break (destroy the integrity of; usually by force; cause to separate into pieces or fragments)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sentence example:

They smash the glass tubes

Sense 3

smash [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Reduce to bankruptcy

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

bankrupt; ruin; smash; break

Context examples:

My daughter's fancy wedding is going to break me! / The slump in the financial markets smashed him

Hypernyms (to "smash" is one way to...):

impoverish (make poor)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Sense 4

smash [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Hit violently

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Context example:

She smashed her car against the guard rail

Hypernyms (to "smash" is one way to...):

hit; strike (drive something violently into a location)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody PP
Somebody ----s something PP

Sense 5

smash [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Humiliate or depress completely

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Synonyms:

demolish; smash; crush

Context examples:

She was crushed by his refusal of her invitation / The death of her son smashed her

Hypernyms (to "smash" is one way to...):

abase; chagrin; humble; humiliate; mortify (cause to feel shame; hurt the pride of)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Sense 6

smash [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Damage or destroy as if by violence

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

bang up; smash up; smash

Context example:

The teenager banged up the car of his mother

Hypernyms (to "smash" is one way to...):

damage (inflict damage upon)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 7

smash [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Hit (a tennis ball) in a powerful overhead stroke

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "smash" is one way to...):

hit (cause to move by striking)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 8

smash [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Collide or strike violently and suddenly

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

The motorcycle smashed into the guard rail

Hypernyms (to "smash" is one way to...):

clash; collide (crash together with violent impact)

Sentence frames:

Something is ----ing PP
Somebody ----s PP

Sense 9

smash [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Overthrow or destroy (something considered evil or harmful)

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Context example:

The police smashed the drug ring after they were tipped off

Hypernyms (to "smash" is one way to...):

demolish; destroy (defeat soundly)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 10

smash [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Break suddenly into pieces, as from a violent blow

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

The window smashed

Hypernyms (to "smash" is one way to...):

break; come apart; fall apart; separate; split up (become separated into pieces or fragments)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

• SMASH (adverb)

Sense 1

smash [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

With a loud crash

Synonyms:

smash; smashingly

Context example:

the car went smash through the fence