crush

[ kruhsh ]

/ krʌʃ /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR crush ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

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

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

to force out by pressing or squeezing; extract: to crush cottonseeds in order to produce oil.

to rumple; wrinkle; crease.

to smooth or flatten by pressure: to crush leather.

to hug or embrace forcibly or strongly: He crushed her in his arms.

to destroy, subdue, or suppress utterly: to crush a revolt.

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

to oppress grievously.

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

verb (used without object)

to become crushed.

to advance with crushing; press or crowd forcibly.

noun

the act of crushing; state of being crushed.

a great crowd: a crush of shoppers.

Informal.

an intense but usually short-lived infatuation.
the object of such an infatuation: Who is your latest crush?

Nearby words

Origin of crush

1300–50; Middle English crus-chen < Middle French cruisir < Germanic; compare Old Swedish krusa, krosa, Middle Low German krossen to crush

SYNONYMS FOR crush

1. crumple, rumple. 2. pulverize, powder, mash, crumble. 7. quell, overcome, quash.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR crush ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

crush·a·ble, adjectivecrush·a·bil·i·ty, nouncrush·a·bly, adverbcrush·er, noun

un·crush·a·ble, adjectiveun·crushed, adjectivewell-crushed, adjective

Synonym study

2. See break.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for crush

Why would “they” want to crush him just for attempting to buy something twenty years ago?
Phylicia Rashad and the Cult of Cosby Truthers|Stereo Williams|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
His high school prom was around the corner, and he had been hanging out with a boy that he had a crush on.
Beaten By His Church for Being Gay|Justin Jones|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
We have a specific idea to attach to THE INTERVIEW that will crush.
Exclusive: Sony Emails Reveal Destiny’s Child and Kanye West Movies, and Spidey Cameo in Capt. 3|William Boot|December 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The main article called Reflections on the Final Crusade outlines in prophetic terms just how ISIS will crush Christianity.
The Pope’s Risky Trip|Barbie Latza Nadeau|November 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST

A new reality series spotlights the extent people will go to impress a crush—from pretending to be deaf to committing theft.
‘My Crazy Love’ Reveals the Craziest Lies People Tell for Love|Kevin Fallon|November 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This, then, is the man who has undertaken to crush my friend Lecour on the question of extraction!
The False Chevalier|William Douw Lighthall
They can be led by a single hair of kindness—fanatical power may crush but can never drive them.
Sages and Heroes of the American Revolution|L. Carroll Judson
Bismarck corrected with a heavy hand so as to crush completely the last attempts at protest—if such ever really existed.
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse|Vicente Blasco Ibanez
I should expect the house to fall and crush such wickedness!
Caleb Williams|William Godwin
Of course, you and Jack would scorn to notice it, but Donald has a crush on Olive.
The Ranch Girls' Pot of Gold|Margaret Vandercook

British Dictionary definitions for crush

crush

/ (krʌʃ) /

verb (mainly tr)

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

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

to put down or subdue, esp by forceto crush a rebellion

to extract (juice, water, etc) by pressingto crush the juice from a lemon

to oppress harshly

to hug or clasp tightlyhe crushed her to him

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

(intr) to crowd; throng

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

noun

a dense crowd, esp at a social occasion

the act of crushing; pressure

a drink or pulp prepared by or as if by crushing fruitorange crush

informal

an infatuationshe had a crush on him
the person with whom one is infatuated

Derived Formscrushable, adjectivecrushability, nouncrusher, noun

Word Origin for crush

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

noun

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

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

Word Origin and History for crush

crush

mid-14c., from Old French cruissir (Modern French écraser), variant of croissir "to gnash (teeth), crash, break," perhaps from Frankish *krostjan "to gnash" (cf. Gothic kriustan, Old Swedish krysta "to gnash"). Figurative sense of "to humiliate, demoralize" is c.1600. Related: Crushed; crushing. Italian crosciare, Catalan cruxir, Spanish crujirare "to crack" are Germanic loan-words.

crush

1590s, "act of crushing," from crush (v.). Meaning "thick crowd" is from 1806. Sense of "person one is infatuated with" is first recorded 1884; to have a crush on is from 1913.

Idioms and Phrases with crush

crush

see have a crush on.

crush

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

noun

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Origin of crush

Synonym study

Examples from the Web for crush

crush

verb (mainly tr)

noun

Word Origin for crush

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