to rip to shreds
10
6.9
- phrasal verb
- /rɪp tə ʃrɛdz/
- Informal
:
destrozar
- And then I had multiple other friends who helpfully ripped my work to shreds.
- get ripped to shreds
- just ripped me to shreds
- then rip it to shreds
Just people want to RIP people to shreds and they want to instill fear.
- Just people want to RIP people to shreds and they want to instill fear.
- Neither of those involve like ripping someone to shreds.
- And someone took it to their personal finance blog and ripped it to shreds and was like, he has Netflix.
- And I it was it was terrible because he had no idea that he was he was just ripping me to shreds.
Examples
-
Romney then, politely but authoritatively, rips this guy to shreds.
Blog text (23) -
I'm going to rip you to shreds for this.
-
'Cause if she could, she would rip you to shreds.
-
Charlie, rip him to shreds.
-
The system would be ripped to shreds in no time.
Blog text (32) -
I'll take my own testimony and rip it to shreds.
-
Family members psychologically rip each other to shreds.
-
If it had gone the other way, he would have ripped Rico to shreds.
Fiction book (1992) -
If he had, the press would have ripped him to shreds during and after Watergate.
Blog text (34) -
The critics completely ripped to shreds the movie for its poor storyline and weak performances.
Synonyms
557
1.7
Beat someone completely in a contest or game
225
2.9
To badly damage or destroy something
221
4.9
To destroy something greatly or make people feel deeply shocked and sad
144
5.1
To say cruel things to make people think less of someone
112
2.6
To tear something into small thin pieces
99
7.9
To criticize someone strongly with harsh words
73
6.6
To damage a place or thing very badly
72
5.1
To make someone's hopes, confidence, or plans fail completely
61
5.3
To strongly criticize someone in public
48
4.6
Cause deep pain to someone's feelings and destroy their hopes
23
8.2
To say angry, insulting things about someone or something
21
5.6
To criticize someone or something harshly
15
7.3
To severely criticize someone or something
15
4.2
Completely destroy an idea, argument, or reputation
15
7.6
To destroy something completely so nothing is left
12
7.9
To destroy a place and leave it ruined
12
8.2
To criticize someone very strongly and angrily
11
4.1
To completely destroy something, often hopes or plans
10
9.1
To take away an important part so something loses its power
8
5.4
Break something into many small parts or hurt someone very badly
4
7.4
To attack someone with strong angry words
4
7.4
To attack or criticize someone strongly
2
8.3
To defeat a person or their argument easily and completely
2
9.9
To scold someone angrily
2
7.1
To scold someone angrily and severely
2
7.4
To beat someone completely in a competition or argument
1
8.5
Shout at someone in a very angry way and threaten them
Strongly insult someone in front of others to embarrass them
Antonyms
How Harsh
- Formal
10
9.1
- Informal
10
6.9
- Informal
4
7.4
298
4.0
701
3.3
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase combines 'rip' (to tear) with 'shred(s)' (small torn fragments) so the basic idea 'tear into pieces' is directly available from the constituents and straightforwardly extends metaphorically to 'completely destroy' or 'attack verbally'. Because the primary meaning is a metaphorical extension of the literal image (common across languages) it is largely inferable by learners who know the words but requires a figurative mapping rather than purely compositional interpretation.
Etymology
Rip to shreds comes from the simple picture of taking something and using your hands to rip it into many small shreds, so nothing is left whole. That strong image of total destruction is why we now use it for 'destroying' an idea or for very harsh 'criticism'.