What does 砕く mean in Japanese?

to break (into pieces), to smash, to crush, to shatter, to grind (into powder), to pound

砕く (Kudaku) — to break (into pieces) · Japanese Dictionary

くだく

Kudaku

Other forms: 摧く

砕く (Kudaku) is a Japanese godan verb meaning “to break (into pieces), to smash, to crush, to shatter”.

godan verb, transitive verbto break (into pieces); to smash; to crush; to shatter; to grind (into powder); to pound
godan verb, transitive verbto shatter (someone's hopes, confidence, etc.); to crush; to frustrate
godan verb, transitive verbto simplify; to make easy to understand

彼の希望は無残に砕かれた。
His hopes were shattered.
愛は人の心を砕くこともできるのさ。
But love can break your heart.
ピックは硬い地表を砕くために用いられる長い取っ手の道具だ。
A pick is a long handled tool used for breaking up hard ground surfaces.

Sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR).