rhizoverbBeta
DictionarysmithereensTiny fragments
noun

smithereens

smith-uh-REENZ/ˌsmɪðəˈriːnz/

Tiny broken pieces.

The ceramic cup lies in smithereens, its broken handle still recognizable.

A close view of a ceramic cup shattered into a dense scatter of tiny angular fragments, with one broken curved handle segment making the original object recognizable.
Etymology
smithereenIrishsmall fragment
+sEnglishplural

Irish smidirin is a diminutive of smiodar, “fragment,” perhaps containing a diminutive ending. The English plural applies this idea of little fragments to the tiny pieces left after shattering.

In context

Curt Jaimungal161:30
your ego, your sense of an individual agency, of being an individual agent, that sense is smashed to smithereens
Escaping the Illusion: Bernardo Kastrup Exposes Reality

More examples

  • One swing of the hammer smashes the brick to smithereens.
  • The vase fell off the shelf and shattered into smithereens.
  • The explosion blew the empty shed to smithereens.

Forms

smithereens

Similar words

fragments
Broken parts of any size, not necessarily tiny.
shards
Sharp broken pieces, especially of glass or pottery.
pieces
A broader term for parts, whether broken or not.