crush

[kruhsh]

verb (used with object)

1. to press or squeeze with a force that destroys or deforms.

   Synonyms: rumple, crumple

2. to squeeze or pound into small fragments or particles, as ore, stone, etc.

   Synonyms: crumble, mash, powder, pulverize

3. to force out by pressing or squeezing; extract.

   to crush cottonseeds in order to produce oil.

4. to rumple; wrinkle; crease.

5. to smooth or flatten by pressure.

   to crush leather.

6. to hug or embrace forcibly or strongly.

   He crushed her in his arms.

7. to destroy, subdue, or suppress utterly.

   to crush a revolt.

   Synonyms: quash, overcome, quell, quell

8. to overwhelm with confusion, chagrin, or humiliation, as by argumentation or a slighting action or remark; squelch.

9. to oppress grievously.

10. Archaic.,  to finish drinking (wine, ale, etc.).

verb (used without object)

1. to become crushed.

2. to advance with crushing; press or crowd forcibly.

noun

1. the act of crushing; state of being crushed.

2. a great crowd.

   a crush of shoppers.

3. Informal.

   1. an intense but usually short-lived infatuation with someone.

   2. the object of such an infatuation.

      Who's your latest crush?

verb phrase

1. crush on,  to have an infatuation with; have a crush on.

   She’s been crushing on him for a year.

crush

¹

/ krʌʃ /

verb

1. to press, mash, or squeeze so as to injure, break, crease, etc

2. to break or grind (rock, ore, etc) into small particles

3. to put down or subdue, esp by force

   to crush a rebellion

4. to extract (juice, water, etc) by pressing

   to crush the juice from a lemon

5. to oppress harshly

6. to hug or clasp tightly

   he crushed her to him

7. to defeat or humiliate utterly, as in argument or by a cruel remark

8. (intr) to crowd; throng

9. (intr) to become injured, broken, or distorted by pressure

noun

1. a dense crowd, esp at a social occasion

2. the act of crushing; pressure

3. a drink or pulp prepared by or as if by crushing fruit

   orange crush

4. informal

   1. an infatuation

      she had a crush on him

   2. the person with whom one is infatuated

crush

²

/ krʌʃ /

noun

1. vet science a construction designed to confine and limit the movement of an animal, esp a large or dangerous animal, for examination or to perform a procedure on it

Other Word Forms

• crushable adjective
• crushability noun
• crushably adverb
• crusher noun
• uncrushable adjective
• uncrushed adjective
• well-crushed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of crush¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English cruschen, crusshen, from Middle French croi(s)sir, cruisir “to gnash one's teeth, make a crashing or cracking sound, crackle, rustle, smash,” Medieval Latin cruscīre “to crackle,” from Germanic; compare Gothic kriustan “to crunch, grind,” Old Swedish krusa, krosa “to crush,” krȳsta “to gnash (one's teeth),” Middle Low German krossen “to crush”

Word History and Origins

Origin of crush¹

C14: from Old French croissir, of Germanic origin; compare Gothic kriustan to gnash; see _crunch

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. crush it, to do something very well and with enthusiasm.

see have a crush on.

Synonym Study

See break.

Example Sentences

Accused of crushing political opposition and rights activists, the government of Eswatini has given few details of the detainees or the deal it signed with the United States to take them in.

Read more on Barron's

Pogacar is a rider without a pronounced weakness—he can climb, he can sprint, he could crush you on a unicycle—and it’s created an air of resignation within the sport.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Oracle’s history, then, has been about swinging the bat, sometimes crushing the ball, sometimes missing, but in the latter cases, surviving to play another day.

Read more on Barron's

Sabalenka, who has crushed topspin forehands harder than the top men at this tournament, was on her way.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

And before the Americans ever teed off, strategic miscues placed them at a crushing disadvantage.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• annihilate 
• beat 
• defeat 
• demolish 
• kill 
• overcome 
• overpower 
• overwhelm 
• quell 
• ruin 
• squelch 
• stamp out 
• strangle 
• subdue 
• suppress 
• vanquish 
• wreck