hacking to pieces; slashing wildly
Describes cutting something into many pieces in a violent, reckless, or indiscriminate manner. Often used figuratively for harsh criticism or thorough destruction.
The culprit hacked the victim to pieces.
His new work was torn to pieces by the critics.
ずたずた is an adverb meaning 'to shreds' or 'in tatters', often used with 切る or 裂く. メッタ斬り emphasizes the violent, reckless action of cutting, while ずたずた focuses on the resulting state of being cut into many pieces.
Common katakana-kanji hybrid spelling; メッタ is often written in katakana for emphasis.
Variant with 切り instead of 斬り; slightly less common but still used.
Full kanji spelling; less common but recognizable.
Full kanji spelling with 切り; less common but recognizable.
Formed from めった “recklessly or indiscriminately” and 斬り “cutting or slashing.” The deeper origin of めった is uncertain.