Smash — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb adjective /ˈsmash/

Meaning & Definition of Smash

Smash (noun)

  1. a smashing blow or attack
  2. a hard overhand stroke (as in tennis or badminton)
  3. the action or sound of smashing; especially, a wreck due to collision, crash

Smash (verb)

  1. to break or crush by violence
  2. to drive or throw violently especially with a shattering or battering effect; also, to effect in this way
  3. to hit violently, batter

Smash (adjective)

  1. being a smash, outstanding

Smash (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to cause to break with violence and much noise

    "the drunken guest deliberately smashed a glass against the brick fireplace"

    similar: break down, crash, shatter
    related: bust, fracture, fragment, annihilate, bash, decimate, demolish, desolate, destroy, devastate, nuke, pulverize, ruin, tear down, total, vaporize, waste, wrack, wreck, shiver, splinter, split, crack, crunch, crush, snap

  2. to cause to break open or into pieces by or as if by an explosive

    "the firecracker smashed the clay pot"

    similar: blast, blow, blow up, burst, demolish, explode, pop, shatter
    related: dynamite, annihilate, decimate, destroy, ruin, wreck, detonate, discharge, fragment, splinter
    near: collapse, implode

  3. to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of

    "the invading troops smashed the resistance and went on to conquer the country"

    similar: annihilate, cream, decimate, demolish, desolate, destroy, devastate, do in, extinguish, nuke, pull down, pulverize, raze, rub out, ruin, shatter, tear down, total, vaporize, waste, wrack, wreck
    related: beat, best, clobber, conquer, crush, defeat, drub, lick, master, overbear, overcome, overmatch, prevail (over), rout, scotch, skunk, subdue, surmount, thrash, trim, triumph (over), trounce, wallop, whip, win (against), blast, blow up, break, cripple, damage, deface, deteriorate, disfigure, disintegrate, dissolve, dynamite, harm, impair, injure, mangle, mar, mutilate, spoil, vitiate, erode, scour, sweep (away), wash out, wear (away), dilapidate, disassemble, dismantle, gut, take down, unbuild, undo, unmake, blot out, efface, eradicate, expunge, exterminate, extirpate, liquidate, obliterate, remove, root (out), snuff (out), stamp (out), wipe out, despoil, havoc, loot, pillage, plunder, ravage, sack, trample, trash, vandalize, assassinate, butcher, cut down, dispatch, execute, fell, kill, kill off, massacre, mow (down), murder, slaughter, slay, take out, zap
    opposite: build, construct, erect, put up, raise, rear, set up
    near: doctor, fix, mend, patch, recondition, repair, revamp, create, invent, assemble, fabricate, fashion, forge, form, frame, make, manufacture, mold, produce, shape, bring about, constitute, establish, father, found, institute, organize, conserve, preserve, protect, save, rebuild, reconstruct, remodel, renovate, restore

  4. to come into usually forceful contact with something

    "we nearly smashed into each other on the skating rink"

    similar: bang, bash, bump, collide, crash, hit, impact, impinge, knock, ram, slam, strike, swipe, thud
    related: bounce, carom, clunk, glance, rebound, ricochet, skim, skip, contact, land, touch, brush, graze, kiss, nudge, scrape, shave, sweep, bulldoze, jostle, muscle, press, push
    near: miss, skirt

Smash (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a forceful coming together of two things

    "the awful smash when his dreams got hit by reality"

    similar: bump, collision, concussion, crash, impact, impingement, jar, jolt, jounce, kick, shock, slam, strike, wallop
    related: blow, buffet, hit, knock, punch, rap, slap, thump, bashing, battering, bludgeoning, clobbering, hammering, lambasting, licking, pounding, pummeling, thrashing, contact, encounter, meeting, touch

  2. the violent coming together of two bodies into destructive contact

    "the sound of the smash made all of the bystanders immediately whip their heads around"

    similar: collision, concussion, crack-up, crash, smashup, wreck
    related: accident, pileup, demolishment, destruction, ruin

  3. a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument

    "she gave the tennis ball a smash and sent it flying over the other side of the net"

    similar: bang, bash, bat, beat, belt, biff, blow, bop, box, buffet, bust, chop, clap, clip, clout, crack, cuff, dab, douse (British), fillip, hack, haymaker, hit, hook, knock, larrup (dialect), lash, lick, pelt, pick, plump, poke, pound, punch, rap, slam, slap, slug, smack, sock, spank, stinger, stripe, stroke, swat, swipe, switch, thud, thump, thwack, wallop, welt, whack, wham, whop
    related: counter, counterblow, counterpunch, counterstroke, body blow, hand, kick, knee, left, one-two, rabbit punch, right, right-hander, roundhouse, shiver, sidewinder, sucker punch, swing, uppercut, cruncher, kayo, knockdown, knockout, KO, bastinado, battering, beating, bludgeoning, clobbering, cudgeling, drubbing, hammering, lambasting, licking, pasting, pounding, pummeling, thrashing, flogging, walloping, whip, whipping

  4. a loud explosive sound

    "the bikes collided with a huge smash"

    similar: bang, blast, boom, clap, crack, crash, pop, report, slam, snap, thunderclap, thwack, whack, whomp, whump
    related: thunk, wham, clang, clangor, clank, clash, knock, rap, tap, blare, clamor, howl, hubbub, hue and cry, hullabaloo, outcry, roar, tumult, uproar

  5. a person or thing that is successful

    "the new Broadway musical is a smash"

    similar: blockbuster, hit, megahit, success, supernova, winner
    related: blue chip, blue chipper, corker, crackerjack, dandy, jim-dandy, pip, prizewinner, gem, jewel, treasure, marvel, natural, phenomenon, sensation, wonder, coup, triumph, victory
    opposite: bomb, bummer, bust, catastrophe, clinker, debacle, dud, failure, fiasco, flop, misfire, turkey, washout
    near: disappointment, fizzle, lemon, loser

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Smash

The most common words with a similar meaning to Smash:

British: douse
Dialect: larrup
break down, crash, shatter, blast, blow, blow up, burst, demolish, explode, pop, annihilate, cream, decimate, desolate, destroy, devastate, do in, extinguish, nuke, pull down, pulverize, raze, rub out, ruin, tear down, total, vaporize, waste, wrack, wreck, bang, bash, bump, collide, hit, impact, impinge, knock, ram, slam

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Smash

Words with the opposite meaning of Smash:

build, construct, erect, put up, raise, rear, set up, bomb, bummer, bust, catastrophe, clinker, debacle, dud, failure, fiasco, flop, misfire, turkey, washout

Related Words for Smash

fracture, fragment, shiver, splinter, split, crunch, crush, dynamite, detonate, discharge, best, clobber, conquer, defeat, drub, master, overbear, overcome, overmatch, prevail (over), rout, scotch, skunk, subdue, surmount, thrash, trim, triumph (over), trounce, whip

Near Antonyms of Smash

collapse, implode, doctor, fix, mend, patch, recondition, repair, revamp, create, invent, assemble, fabricate, fashion, forge, form, frame, make, manufacture, mold, produce, shape, bring about, constitute, establish, father, found, institute, organize, conserve

Word Forms of Smash

Inflections: smashed, smashing, smashes

Derived words: smasher (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Smash

perhaps blend of smack:4 and mash:2

First known use: 1725

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Smash

Words & Phrases Containing Smash

smash-and-grab, smash down, smash in, smashburger

Frequently Asked Questions about Smash

What does "Smash" mean?

"Smash" means a smashing blow or attack. As an a noun, a verb and an adjective, it is defined as: a smashing blow or attack. It has 9 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Smash"?

Other words for "Smash" include break down, crash, shatter, blast, blow, blow up, burst and demolish. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Smash" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Smash"?

There are 313 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Smash". Common alternatives include break down, crash, shatter, blast, blow, blow up, burst, demolish, explode and pop.

What is the opposite of "Smash"?

Antonyms of "Smash" include build, construct, erect, put up, raise, rear, set up and bomb. Near antonyms include collapse, implode, doctor and fix.

How do you use "Smash" in a sentence?

Examples of "Smash" in a sentence: "the drunken guest deliberately smashed a glass against the brick fireplace"; "the firecracker smashed the clay pot"; "the invading troops smashed the resistance and went on to conquer the country".

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

"Smash" can be used as a noun, a verb and an adjective, depending on the context.

Is "Smash" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Smash" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Smash"?

"Smash" is pronounced /ˈsmash/.