crashing

American

[krash-ing] / ˈkræʃ ɪŋ /

adjective

absolute; complete; utter.

a crashing bore.
unusual or superlative; exceptional.

a crashing celebration.

crashing British

/ ˈkræʃɪŋ /

adjective

informal (prenominal) (intensifier) (esp in the phrase a crashing bore )

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

crashingly

adverb

Etymology

Origin of crashing

First recorded in 1925–30; crash ¹ + -ing ²

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

They bet too aggressively and blew up in 1998, nearly crashing the financial system.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 18, 2026

“All he wanted was to learn, but all of his dreams just came crashing down,” said Winston Garcia, one of Wilber’s older brothers.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 17, 2026

The Scottish sporting psyche demands that even in victory, the mind starts to drift forward to when and how it might all come crashing down.

From BBC • Jun. 14, 2026

Scott McTominay – Unlucky to see a curling effort come crashing off a post.

From BBC • Jun. 14, 2026

If we went on, the whole team, all of us, would go crashing down into the rushing river.

From "Black Star, Bright Dawn" by Scott O'Dell

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023