noun

shred

shrehd

noun

A small torn or cut strip or fragment of something.

"The dog left the newspaper in shreds all over the kitchen floor."

"There isn't a shred of evidence to support the claim."

verb

To cut or tear something into narrow strips or small pieces.

"She shredded the lettuce for the salad."

"He shredded the old bank statements before throwing them out."

How to Use Shred

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA small torn strip of something, or the act of tearing/cutting something into such strips.

Common mistake

"Not a shred of" is a fixed phrase meaning "not even the smallest amount" — used almost always with evidence, doubt, or truth.

Common pairings

not a shred of evidence shred documents shredded cheese

Word Forms

more shred comparative, shredded past tense, shred past tense, shreds plural, shred plural, shredded plural, shreds singular, shred singular, shredded singular, shreddest singular, shreddedst singular, shreddeth singular, most shred superlative

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Test yourself on “shred” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

The dog left the newspaper in _____ all over the kitchen floor.

Etymology

From Old English screade ("a piece cut off"), related to Proto-Germanic roots meaning "to cut."

Rhymes for shred

red cred Fred tired bored wired fired mired erred Jared aired gored

See all rhymes for shred →