smasher

Everyday

1. (UK, informal, old-fashioned) A person or thing that is wonderful, very nice or very attractive: «She's a smasher». tree →
2. A person or thing that smashes or breaks things, e.g. a can smasher or a record smasher. tree →

In the lessons

In British books and older family talk, «a smasher» is warm praise; grandparents may say «You're a little smasher». The plain sense appears in phrases like «record smasher» in sport or «Ball Smasher» as a toy or game name.

Examples

• Thanks for the help, you're a smasher! tree →
• Grandad said the new puppy was a little smasher. tree →
• That goal was a real smasher! tree →
• The can smasher squashes tins for recycling. tree →
• She's a record smasher — she broke the school record three times. tree →
• "What a smasher of a day!" said Nan, looking at the blue sky. tree →

Note

Countable. Related British praise words: «smashing» (great), «brilliant». It is informal and a bit old-fashioned now.