Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense crushes, present participle crushing, past tense, past participle crushed
1. verb
To crush something means to press it very hard so that its shape is destroyed or so that it breaks into pieces.
Andrew crushed his empty can. [VERB noun]
Their vehicle was crushed by an army tank. [VERB noun]
Peel and crush the garlic. [VERB noun]
...crushed ice. [VERB-ed]
Synonyms: squash, pound, break, smash More Synonyms of crush
2. verb
To crush a protest or movement, or a group of opponents, means to defeat it completely, usually by force.
The military operation was the first step in a plan to crush the uprising. [VERB noun]
...in his bid to crush the rebels. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: overcome, overwhelm, put down, subdue More Synonyms of crush
crushinguncountable noun
...the violent crushing of anti-government demonstrations. [+ of]
3. verb [usually passive]
If you are crushed by something, it upsets you a great deal.
Listen to criticism but don't be crushed by it. [beVERB-ed]
Synonyms: demoralize, depress, devastate, discourage More Synonyms of crush
4. verb [usually passive]
If you are crushed against someone or something, you are pushed or pressed against them.
We were at the front, crushed against the stage. [beVERB-ed preposition]
5. countable noun [usually singular]
A crush is a crowd of people close together, in which it is difficult to move.
Franklin and his thirteen-year-old son somehow got separated in the crush.
Everywhere he went he was mobbed by a crush of fans.
6. countable noun
If you have a crushon someone, you are in love with them but do not have a relationship with them.
[informal]
She had a crush on you, you know. [+ on]
I'd got over my schoolgirl crush.
More Synonyms of crush
crush in British English1
(krʌʃ)
verb(mainly tr)
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. (intransitive)
to crowd; throng
9. (intransitive)
to become injured, broken, or distorted by pressure
10. crush it
noun
11.
a dense crowd, esp at a social occasion
12.
the act of crushing; pressure
13.
a drink or pulp prepared by or as if by crushing fruit
orange crush
14. informal
a.
an infatuation
she had a crush on him
b.
the person with whom one is infatuated
Derived forms
crushable (ˈcrushable)
adjective
crushability (ˌcrushaˈbility)
noun
crusher (ˈcrusher)
noun
Word origin
C14: from Old French croissir, of Germanic origin; compare Gothic kriustan to gnash; see crunch
crush in British English2
(krʌʃ)
noun
veterinary 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
crush in American English
(krʌʃ)
verb transitive
1.
to press between two opposing forces so as to break or injure; put out of shape or condition by pressure; squeezetogether; crumple
2.
to press, grind, or pound into small particles or into powder
3.
to subdue or suppress by or as by force; overwhelm
4.
to oppress harshly
5.
to extract by pressing or squeezing
verb intransitive
6.
to be or become crushed
7.
to press forward; crowd (into, against, etc.)
noun
8.
a crushing; severe pressure
9.
a crowded mass, esp. of people
10. US, Informal
an infatuation
I had a crush on her
SIMILAR WORDS: break
Derived forms
crushable (ˈcrushable)
adjective
crusher (ˈcrusher)
noun
Word origin
ME crushen < OFr croisir, to gnash (teeth), crash, break < Frank *krostjan, to gnash; akin to OSwed krysta, Goth kriustan
Examples of 'crush' in a sentence
crush
Crush the garlic to a paste with a pinch of salt.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Chop the garlic and crush with a pinch of salt.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Just as sublime beauty can soothe and inspire, urban ugliness can crush and depress.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It was a crushing defeat for the French.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Peel, chop and crush the garlic to a paste with a pinch of salt.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
People try to crush you.
The Sun (2016)
Less common is criticism of the drivers who propel massive HGVs around corners without being certain no one will be crushed under their wheels.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Tonight she treats a schoolgirl with a crush on a teacher.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Instead he decided to crush it by force.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Peel and crush the garlic with a pinch of salt.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
The war had crushed the people and buildings of his memories.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
This is where residues of the great ocean are crushed together in perplexing ways.
Richard Fortey THE EARTH: An Intimate History (2004)
Crush one half with the back of a fork and add the sliced mint.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Peel and chop the garlic and crush to a paste.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
You have the inner confidence no one can crush.
The Sun (2008)
He was gracious in the face of a crushing defeat.
The Sun (2014)
The pressure would have crushed most men.
The Sun (2008)
Peel and crush the garlic to a paste.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Mix together crushed biscuits with butter or margarine.
The Sun (2014)
Crush the garlic with a pinch of salt.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Injuries may have been caused by people panicking and crushing others underfoot in their rush to leave buildings.
Pearson, Althea Growing Through Loss and Grief (1994)
Add the lemon zest and juice, crushed garlic and chopped parsley.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Aren't you crushed by the crowd?
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Add dash of cranberry juice, then crush berries into a paste.
The Sun (2009)
Where passengers had stood crushed against one another in the crowded train, there was empty space.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
The government has also acted to further crush press freedom and the country regularly tops world league tables for the number of imprisoned journalists.
The Sun (2016)
That the schoolgirl had a crush on Forrest is now evident from other posts on the various social networking sites she frequented.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
To put the failed coup leaders in front of a firing squad would secure the president's legacy as the strongman who crushed the army.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Police already have the power to seize and crush old, dangerous and unlicensed cars - a power used too infrequently.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Word lists with
crush
Soft drinks
In other languages
crush
British English: crush /krʌʃ/ VERB
To crush something means to press it very hard so that its shape is destroyed or so that it breaks into pieces.
He crushed his empty drinks can.
American English: crush
Arabic: يَسْحَقُ
Brazilian Portuguese: esmagar
Chinese: 压碎
Croatian: zdrobiti
Czech: drtit
Danish: knuse
Dutch: in elkaar drukken
European Spanish: aplastar aplanar
Finnish: musertaa
French: écraser détruire
German: zerquetschen
Greek: συνθλίβω
Italian: schiacciare
Japanese: 押しつぶす
Korean: 으깨다
Norwegian: knuse
Polish: zgnieść
European Portuguese: esmagar
Romanian: a zdrobi
Russian: дробить
Latin American Spanish: aplastar
Swedish: krossa
Thai: บดละเอียด
Turkish: ezmek sıkıştırarak
Ukrainian: зминати
Vietnamese: ép
British English: crush NOUN
A crush is a crowd of people close together, in which it is difficult to move.
His thirteen-year-old son somehow got separated in the crush.
American English: crush
Brazilian Portuguese: aglomeração
Chinese: 拥挤的人群
European Spanish: aglomeración
French: cohue
German: Gedränge
Italian: ressa
Japanese: 人込み
Korean: 북적대는 군중
European Portuguese: aglomeração
Latin American Spanish: aglomeración
All related terms of 'crush'
crush bar
a bar at a theatre for serving drinks during the intervals of a play
crush it
to do something convincingly or extremely well
man crush
an intense but non-sexual admiration felt by one man for another
crush zone
The crush zone is the part of a vehicle's bodywork that is designed to absorb the energy in a crash , reducing the amount that is felt by passengers inside the vehicle.
crush barrier
a barrier erected to separate sections of large crowds in order to prevent crushing
crush-resistant
not being easily creased
schoolboy crush
an infatuation that a young boy has, usually for an older person such as a teacher or an actor, which is seen as superficial and unlikely to last for long
schoolgirl crush
an infatuation that a young girl has, usually for an older person such as a teacher or an actor, which is seen as superficial and unlikely to last for long