1. Literally, torn into many pieces or ripped in several places. Make sure the bank statement is in shreds before you put it in the recycling—you never know who might be looking through it to steal your information. Detectives discovered a blouse in the woods that had been torn to shreds.

2. By extension, in very bad condition or very badly damaged. Relations between the two countries are in shreds after it came to light that one had been spying on the other for nearly two years. I just feel like my brain is in shreds after working on these financial statements all day long.