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

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. Informal. 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

Derived Forms

• ˈcrusher, noun
• ˌcrushaˈbility, noun
• ˈcrushable, adjective

Other Words From

• crusha·ble adjective
• crusha·bili·ty noun
• crusha·bly adverb
• crusher noun
• un·crusha·ble adjective
• un·crushed 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, Informal. to do something very well and with enthusiasm.

More idioms and phrases containing crush

see have a crush on .

Synonym Study

See break.

Example Sentences

There are rumors and reports that senior military leaders are having informal discussions about what to do if President Trump issues illegal or unconstitutional orders regarding the suppression of dissent, the occupation of American cities, the execution of his plans for mass deportation or other efforts to crush “the enemy within.”

From Salon

Democrats were importing “illegal immigrants” as voters to create permanent one-party rule and crush dissent.

From Slate

Trump has also threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act and the Alien Enemies Act to order a military occupation of “blue states” and Democrat-led major cities as part of a plan to crush dissent.

From Salon

Trump is personally promising to crush the “enemy within” and the “demonic” Democrats and “the Left” as he “purifies” the “blood” of the nation from the human vermin.

From Salon

While the Election Day crush has eased in some states like Michigan, where early voting has broken records, in other places have been snaking, lines of voters were seen snaking out of polling places before they were even open.

From Salon

Related Words

• horde
• multitude
• throng