crush

UK: /ˈkrʌʃ/ US: /krʌʃ/ ,(krush)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

crush /krʌʃ/   v. 

1. to press or squeeze with a force that destroys or changes the shape of:
   [~ + object] The women crushed the grapes to make wine.
2. to pound into small particles:
   [~ + object] I crushed some ice and added it to her drink.
3. to (cause to) wrinkle, crease, or collapse into tiny folds: [~ + object]
   She crushed the paper and threw it away.
   [no object]
   This material crushes too easily to be of any use.
4. to force out by pressing or squeezing:
   [~ + object] He crushed the juice from the grapes.
5. to hug or embrace tightly:
   [~ + object] He crushed the princess in his arms.
6. [~ + object] to overwhelm;
   destroy completely:
   The Rangers crushed the Islanders 10-1 last night at the arena.
7. to shock or upset;
   affect grievously:
   [~ + object] The news of his death crushed me.
8. to (cause to) move forward with force: [no object]
   The reporters tried to crush into the courtroom.
   [~ + object]
   The surging crowd crushed us against the wall.

n. 

9. [uncountable] the act of crushing or the state of being crushed;
   pressure;
   force.
10. a great crowd;
    throng:
    [countable* usually singular] a crush of people.
11. Informal Terms Informal. an intense, brief feeling of love or attraction for someone:
    [countable] had a crush on you in high school.

crush•a•ble, adj. 
crush•er, n. [countable]
crush•ing, adj.: 

a crushing defeat at the polls.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

crush  (krush), v.t. 

1. to press or squeeze with a force that destroys or deforms.
2. to squeeze or pound into small fragments or particles, as ore, stone, etc.
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.
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.).

v.i. 

11. to become crushed.
12. to advance with crushing;
    press or crowd forcibly.

n. 

13. the act of crushing;
    state of being crushed.
14. a great crowd:
    a crush of shoppers.
15. Informal Terms
    • an intense but usually short-lived infatuation.
    • the object of such an infatuation:
      Who is your latest crush?

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

crush′a•ble, adj. 
crush′a•bil′i•ty, n. 
crush′a•bly, adv. 
crush′er, n. 
Synonyms

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

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

crush / 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
4. to extract (juice, water, etc) by pressing
5. to oppress harshly
6. to hug or clasp tightly
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. when intr, followed by on: to be infatuated with (someone)
11. to drink (beer, cider, etc) quickly or with relish
12. crush it ⇒ to do something convincingly or extremely well

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. an infatuation: she had a crush on him
5. the person with whom one is infatuated

Etymology: 14th Century: from Old French croissir, of Germanic origin; compare Gothic kriustan to gnash; see crunch

ˈcrushable adjective

ˈcrusher noun