squish

American  

[skwish] / skwɪʃ /

verb (used with object)

1. to squeeze or squash.

   It's a soft bread, so it's easy to accidentally squish it while cutting.

   The long ride was going to be uncomfortable, what with having to squish six people into a tiny car.

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verb (used without object)

1. to make a gushing or splashing sound.

   His soaking wet sneakers squished as he plodded by.

   I waded out of the river, mud squishing between my toes.

2. to become squeezed or squashed.

   The softer containers can squish down when empty, allowing them to take up less space.

3. to make one's way with a gushing or splashing sound.

   We said our goodbyes, and she squished away to the bus stop in the rain.

noun

1. a gushing or splashing sound.

   I thought I was alone in the woods until I heard the squish of footsteps on wet leaves.

2. an instance of being squeezed or squashed.

   The table could seat four people, but it would be a squish.

3. Slang.  a politician, especially a Republican, who is perceived by members of their own party as overly moderate or willing to compromise.

   His rival in the party claimed he was a squish who cared more about making deals than sticking to his beliefs.

4. Slang.  an intense feeling of infatuation that is not romantic or sexual in nature; a platonic crush.

   I had such a squish on her when we first met, but luckily it worked out and now she's my best friend.

squish British  

/ skwɪʃ /

verb

1. (tr) to crush, esp so as to make a soft splashing noise

2. (intr) (of mud, etc) to make a splashing noise

   the ground squishes as you tread

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noun

1. a soft squashing sound

   the ripe peach fell with a squish

Other Word Forms

• squished adjective

Etymology

Origin of squish

First recorded in 1640–50; alteration of squash ¹

Example Sentences

“The Sikh community within trucking is really being squished in the middle of a battle between the state of California and the federal government,” said Kaur, whose father was a truck owner and operator.

From Los Angeles Times

Upon being told that her great grandmother had died, she seemed to want clarity and asserted with partial relief, “Great Gran is dead . . . but not squished.”

From The Wall Street Journal

"By squeezing -- silencing the noise -- you effectively use quantum mechanical interactions to 'squish' that meter stick, effectively creating finer gradations and allowing you to measure smaller things more precisely."

From Science Daily

On the other hand, people who are a little bit below that level, they might feel a bit squished between bottom-up and top-down pressure.

From The Wall Street Journal

"When they are small, they kind of look like an elephant squished into a little yolk sack."

From Science Daily

Related Words

• scrunch