shattered dream
2
4.6
- noun
:
sueño destrozado
- She sounded disappointed, but whether that sprang from her judging Lily unsuitable to receive such an honor or from her own now-shattered dream of becoming the Chosen.
Examples
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It is about shattered dreams and shattered families and children losing their mothers and fathers.
Academic text (1998) -
Those with shattered dreams, how does it feel?
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You wait four years, three people have a good time, and everybody else gets to live on with shattered dreams.
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Too often we excuse those who are willing to build their own lives on the shattered dreams of others.
Blog text (28) -
A shattered dream for every fallen star.
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Thus, this tale of greed, treachery, and shattered dreams ends with a ray of light.
Academic text (2002) -
One day I was able to open my tightly clenched fists and surrender my hopes, shattered dreams, and wasted plans to Him.
Blog text (23) -
After losing his job and facing financial difficulties, he felt as if he were living with a shattered dream.
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Many young artists move to the city, only to find themselves with shattered dreams after struggling for years to find recognition.
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The closure of the local factory left the community with shattered dreams of a better future.
Synonyms
1
5.0
A hope that is ruined or not fulfilled
Antonyms
How Broken
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase 'shattered dream' is directly interpretable from 'shatter' (to break or destroy) + 'dream' (an aspiration); a B1 learner who knows both words can infer a broken or ruined aspiration. The metaphoric use of 'shatter' to mean 'destroy' is commonplace and cross-linguistically familiar, so the compound meaning is transparently compositional.
Etymology
Shattered dream gives a simple picture: a fragile object falls and breaks into many pieces. Shattered means broken into pieces and dream means a hope or plan, so when a dream is 'shattered' it feels completely 'destroyed' or 'lost'.