shred

1 of 2

noun

ˈshred How to pronounce shred (audio)
 especially Southern  ˈsred
1
a
: a long narrow strip cut or torn off
b
shreds plural : a shredded, damaged, or ruined condition
a reputation torn to shreds
2
: particle, scrap
not a shred of evidence

shred

2 of 2

verb

shredded; shredding; shreds
1
transitive : to cut or tear (something) into shreds
shredded the documents
2
transitive : demolish sense 2
… sharp lawyers shredding hapless witnesses on live television …Charles Krauthammer
3
intransitive : to come apart in or break into shreds
The cloth had shredded.
4
a
intransitive : to ski or engage in a board sport (such as snowboarding, skateboarding, or surfing) with exceptional skill
At its regular meeting Monday, the Cullman City Council signed off on constructing a place where skateboarders can … shred … and ollie to their hearts' content.Benjamin Bullard
b
transitive : to shred on (a surface)
For fans of snow sports, Beach Mountain Resort, Sugar Mountain Resort and Appalachian Ski Mountain offer sweet powdery slopes to shred.Luke Weir
At one point, Paul was thought by many to be the best surfer on the planet, a guy who had the rare ability to totally shred waves with radical moves and yet do it very gracefully and with a beautiful flowing style.Corky Carroll
5
transitive + intransitive : to play an electric guitar with great skill and speed
She shreds on guitar and has the voice of an angel.Rachel Stone
… this child musician has to be able to shred the guitar at an adult, professional level.Kerry Clawson
6
transitive archaic : to cut off
shredder noun

Examples of shred in a Sentence

Noun The wallpaper is in shreds. His reputation was in shreds after the arrest. He struggled to retain a shred of his dignity. Verb Shred the cabbage and add it to the salad. shredded some cooked chicken for the soup
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
When the last shreds of sunlight vanish, everyone pulls their car up to the field and turns on their headlights. Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 5 Mar. 2025 Waste management giant Veolia shreds blades into small pieces that go in kilns to replace the coal, sand and clay required to make cement. New Atlas, 14 Feb. 2025
Verb
As Journey founder Neal Schon, 71, shredded on guitar and lead singer Arnel Pineda, 57, took the crowd into the chorus, sound — along with some onstage visuals — stopped abruptly, leaving just audience voices echoing as confusion broke out, as seen in the footage. Bailey Richards, People.com, 15 Mar. 2025 One-Pot French Onion Pasta Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (6 oz.) 1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese (4 oz.) 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 2 Tbsp. salted butter, melted 1 tsp. Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for shred

Word History

Etymology

Noun

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

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of shred was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shred.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shred. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

shred

1 of 2 noun
1
a
: a long narrow piece cut or torn off : scrap
shreds of cloth
b
plural : a shredded, damaged, or ruined condition
the loss tore his confidence to shreds
reputation was in shreds
2
: a small amount : bit
not a shred of evidence

shred

2 of 2 verb
shredded; shredding
: to cut or tear into shreds
shred paper
shred cabbage
shredder noun

More from Merriam-Webster on shred

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