Shred — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈshred/

Meaning & Definition of Shred

Shred (noun)

  1. a long narrow strip cut or torn off
  2. a shredded, damaged, or ruined condition
  3. particle, scrap

Shred (verb)

  1. to cut or tear (something) into shreds
  2. demolish
  3. to come apart in or break into shreds

Shred (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a very small amount

    "the vandals showed not a shred of decency"

    similar: ace, bit, crumb, dab, dram, driblet, glimmer, hint, lick, little, mite, nip, ounce, particle, peanuts, ray, scintilla, scruple, shade, shadow, skosh, smack, smell, smidgen, snap, soupçon, spark, spatter, speck, splash, spot, sprinkling, strain, streak, suspicion, tad, touch, trace, drop in the bucket
    related: hoot, iota, jot, minim, minimum, modicum, semblance, syllable, tittle, vestige, whit, atom, dot, fleck, flyspeck, grain, granule, molecule, morsel, mote, nubbin, patch, scrap, dash, drop, pinch, part, portion, section, bite, nibble, taste, handful, scattering, smatter, smattering, dose, shot, chip, flake, fragment, shard, shiver, sliver, smithereens, splinter, tatter, clipping, paring, shaving
    near: abundance, barrel, boatload, bucket, bundle, bushel, deal, fistful, gobs, heaps, lashings (chiefly British), loads, lot, mass, mess, mountain, much, oodles, passel, peck, pile, plenty, potful, profusion, quantity, raft, reams, scads, stack, wad, wealth, volume, bonanza, embarrassment, excess, overabundance, overage, overflow, overkill, overmuch, oversupply, superabundance, superfluity, surfeit, surplus, chunk, hunk, lump, slab

Shred (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to cause (something) to separate into jagged pieces by violently pulling at it

    "shredded some cooked chicken for the soup"

    similar: rend, ribbon, rip, rive, tatter, tear
    related: break, cleave, rupture, split, cut, gash, incise, lacerate, slash, butcher, dismember, dissect, hack, mangle

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Shred

The most common words with a similar meaning to Shred:

ace, bit, crumb, dab, dram, driblet, glimmer, hint, lick, little, mite, nip, ounce, particle, peanuts, ray, scintilla, scruple, shade, shadow, skosh, smack, smell, smidgen, snap, soupçon, spark, spatter, speck, splash, spot, sprinkling, strain, streak, suspicion, tad, touch, trace, drop in the bucket, rend

Related Words for Shred

hoot, iota, jot, minim, minimum, modicum, semblance, syllable, tittle, vestige, whit, atom, dot, fleck, flyspeck, grain, granule, molecule, morsel, mote, nubbin, patch, scrap, dash, drop, pinch, part, portion, section, bite

Near Antonyms of Shred

abundance, barrel, boatload, bucket, bundle, bushel, deal, fistful, gobs, heaps, lashings, loads, lot, mass, mess, mountain, much, oodles, passel, peck, pile, plenty, potful, profusion, quantity, raft, reams, scads, stack, wad

Word Forms of Shred

Inflections: shredded, shredding, shreds

Derived words: shredder (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Shred

Middle English shrede, from Old English scrēade; akin to Old High German scrōt piece cut off

First known use: before 12th century

Frequently Asked Questions about Shred

What does "Shred" mean?

"Shred" means a long narrow strip cut or torn off. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: a long narrow strip cut or torn off. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Shred"?

Other words for "Shred" include ace, bit, crumb, dab, dram, driblet, glimmer and hint. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Shred" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Shred"?

There are 108 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Shred". Common alternatives include ace, bit, crumb, dab, dram, driblet, glimmer, hint, lick and little.

How do you use "Shred" in a sentence?

Examples of "Shred" in a sentence: "the vandals showed not a shred of decency"; "shredded some cooked chicken for the soup".

Is "Shred" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Shred" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Shred"?

"Shred" is pronounced /ˈshred/.

What is the origin of the word "Shred"?

"Shred" comes from Middle English shrede, from Old English scrēade; akin to Old High German scrōt piece cut off. First known use: before 12th century.

What is another word for "Shred" meaning "a very small amount"?

When "Shred" (noun) means a very small amount, synonyms include ace, bit, crumb, dab, dram and driblet.