 |
| Language: | Old English |
| Origin: | screade |
| |||||||||
shred1
1 [countable] a small thin piece that is torn or cut roughly from something
2 to criticize someone very severely : 
Within a year, other researchers had torn the theory to shreds.
tear/rip something to shreds
Within a year, other researchers had torn the theory to shreds.3
in shreds
a) torn in many places : Uncle Earl was exhausted and his shirt hung in shreds.
Uncle Earl was exhausted and his shirt hung in shreds.b) completely ruined : His ambitious plan was in shreds. If Myra gossips about this, my reputation will be in shreds.
His ambitious plan was in shreds.If Myra gossips about this, my reputation will be in shreds.4 a very small amount of something : the last shred of hope ! Usually used with negative words such as not, without, and hardly.
shred of something
the last shred of hope