Meanings
plural crushes
- countableuncountableA violent collision or compression; a crash; destruction; ruin.
The more highly the injured part is endowed with sensory nerves the more marked is the shock; a crush of the hand, for example, is attended with a more intense degree of shock than a correspondingly severe crush of the foot
1921, Alexis Thomson, Alexander Miles, Manual of Surgery - countableslanguncountableA group or gang.
Then there was another set who called themselves the "Ragged Thirteen"; and the account says "they looked it." And, like most diggers, this "crush," to quote my authority, could handle the cards a bit.
1887, Harriet W. Daly, Digging, Squatting, and Pioneering Life in the Northern Territory of South Australia, page 302 - countableuncountableA crowd control barrier.
- countableinformaluncountableAn infatuation with somebody one is not dating.
I've had a huge crush on her since we met many years ago.
2 more examples
How did you know cause I never told / But you found out / I've got a crush on you
1985, The Jets, “Crush on You”, in The Jets, performed by Aaron Lael Zigman and Jerry KnightAnd I needed to get my schoolgirl crush under control. There was no way Brín felt anything anywhere near what I felt for him. He saw me as a friend.
2019, Emma Lea, A Royal Enticement- broadlycountableinformaluncountableThe human object of such infatuation or affection.
He took his crush out for dinner.
1 more example
It had taken nine years from the evening that Truman first showed up with a pie plate at her mother's door, but his dogged perseverance eventually won him the hand of his boyhood Sunday school crush.
2004, Chris Wallace, Character: Profiles in Presidential Courage
- uncountablebroadcastingThe situation where certain colors are so similar as to be hard to distinguish, either as a deliberate effect or as a limitation of a display.
black crush; white crush
- uncountablelifestyleA paraphilia involving arousal from seeing things destroyed by crushing.
Just as they say that marijuana leads to harder drugs, Gallegly is claiming that crush is a "gateway fetish"—a term I've never heard before. He claims that if someone starts with bugs they'll end up escalating to human babies in no time.
2000, Katharine Gates, Deviant Desires: Incredibly Strange Sex, page 137
present singular third person crushes · participle present crushing · participle past crushed · past crushed
- To reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding.
to crush quartz
1 more example
With a wild scream he was upon her, tearing a great piece from her side with his mighty teeth, and striking her viciously upon her head and shoulders with a broken tree limb until her skull was crushed to a jelly.
1912 October, Edgar Rice Burroughs, “Tarzan of the Apes”, in The All-Story, New York, N.Y.: Frank A. Munsey Co., →OCLC; republished as chapter 1, in Tarzan of the Apes, New York, N.Y.: A[lbert] L[evi] Burt Company, June 1914, →OCLC - figurativelyTo overwhelm by pressure or weight.
After the corruption scandal, the opposition crushed the ruling party in the elections
2 more examples
We believe the invasion has reached its peak. The task remaining is to crush it. Our men are confident, the United Nations command is confident, that it will be crushed.
1950 September 1, Harry S. Truman, 2:02 from the start, in MP72-73 Korea and World Peace: President Truman Reports to the People, Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives Identifier: 595162A stunning performance from the Republic of Ireland all but sealed progress to Euro 2012 as they crushed nine-man Estonia 4-0 in the first leg of the qualifying play-off tie in A Le Coq Arena in Tallinn.
2011 November 11, Rory Houston, “Estonia 0-4 Republic of Ireland”, in RTE SportSynonyms: overtake
- colloquialfigurativelyTo do impressively well at (sports events; performances; interviews; etc.).
They had a gig recently at Madison Square—totally crushed it!
- To oppress or grievously burden.
- intransitiveTo be or become broken down or in, or pressed into a smaller volume or area, by external weight or force.
an eggshell crushes easily
- intransitivetransitiveTo feel infatuation or unrequited love.
She's crushing on him.
4 more examples
Then walked in / The girl I'm crushin' / And the kid spilled juice / On my Mom's new cushion
2000, “Aaron’s Party (Come Get It)”, performed by Aaron Carter... I could just let loose and be myself no holding back you know we just where to young kids in love, lust, crushing whatever you wanted to call it but we where living it up having fun when we where together the rest of the world didn't exist ...
2011, May'lon Miranda, Love Is Blind, →ISBN, page 58And the one subject that I get an A plus in every time, is the ancient art of crushing. I crush, therefore I am. I've decided to share the benefit of my wisdom and after months of hopelessly lusting after Dylan, I've REALISED that there are twelve degrees of crushing from the slightly embarrassing things most girls will do to catch the eye of the heir to their heart, to the verging on ridiculous stunts you pull when you're in the grip of a passion that renders you powerless.
2013, Sarra Manning, Diary of a Crush: Kiss and Make Up, →ISBN"I respect your wiring," he explained, "but I'm crushing on you. And when I crush, I crush hard." He thought it would be better if we stopped seeing each other for a while.
2013, Shozan Jack Haubner, Zen Confidential: Confessions of a Wayward Monk, →ISBN, page 130 - broadcastingTo give a compressed or foreshortened appearance to.
He frames his subject in distant close-ups (we feel the distance, due mostly to the crushed perspective brought about by the telephoto lens).
2003, Michel Chion, The Films of Jacques Tati, page 781 more example
They realise that trajectories, space expansion and crushing are different with different lenses, whether wide angle or telephoto, and that actors' eyelines will be altered.
2010, Birgit Bräuchler, John Postill, Theorising Media and Practice, page 319 - transitivebroadcastingTo make certain colors so similar as to be hard to distinguish, either as a deliberate effect or as a limitation of a display.
My old TV set crushes the blacks when the brightness is lowered.
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo press between two hard objects; to squeeze so as to alter the natural shape or integrity, or to force together into a mass.
verbTo overwhelm by pressure or weight.
More synonyms by meaning
verbto compress with violence, out of natural shape or condition
verbcome out better in a competition, race, or conflict
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Germanic*kreustaną“to crush, grind, strike, smash”
- Frankish*krustijan“to crush, squeeze, squash”
- Late Latin*crusciō“to crush”
- Old Frenchcroissir“to crush”
- Middle Englishcruschen“to crush, smash, squeeze, squash”
- Englishcrush
From Middle English cruschen (“to crush, smash, squeeze, squash”), from Old French croissir (“to crush”), from Late Latin *crusciō (“to crush”), from Frankish *krustijan (“to crush, squeeze, squash”), from Proto-Germanic *kreustaną (“to crush, grind, strike, smash”). Cognate with Middle Low German tôkrosten (“to crush, shatter”), Swedish krysta (“to squeeze”), Danish kryste (“to squash”), Icelandic kreista (“to squeeze, squash”), Faroese kroysta (“to squeeze”), Gothic 𐌺𐍂𐌹𐌿𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌽 (kriustan, “to gnash”). Akin also to Middle Dutch crosen (“to bruise, crush”), Middle Low German krossen, krö̂sen, tôkrö̂sen (“to break, shatter”), Old Swedish krusa (“to crush”).
More words from Middle English, Old French, Late Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek συντρίβω
- συντρίβω (suntríbō)to press or bruise between two hard bodies
Arabic هَرَسَ
- هَرَسَ (harasa)to reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding
Basque zapaldu, estutu
- zapalduto press or bruise between two hard bodies
- estututo reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding
Bulgarian смачкване, увлечение
- смачкване (smačkvane)violent collision or compression; crash; destruction; ruin
- увлечение (uvlečenie)love or infatuation or its object (often short-lived or unrequited)
- смачквам (smačkvam)to press or bruise between two hard bodies
- раздробявам (razdrobjavam)to reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding
- смачквам (smačkvam)to overwhelm by pressure or weight
- потискам (potiskam)to oppress or burden grievously
- съкрушавам (săkrušavam)to overcome completely
Catalan aixafar, xafar
- aixafarto press or bruise between two hard bodies
- xafarto press or bruise between two hard bodies
- esclafarto press or bruise between two hard bodies
- triturarto reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding
Chinese Mandarin 迷上, 迷戀 /迷恋
- 迷上 (míshàng)love or infatuation or its object (often short-lived or unrequited)
- 迷戀 /迷恋 (míliàn)love or infatuation or its object (often short-lived or unrequited)
- 迷住 (mízhù)love or infatuation or its object (often short-lived or unrequited)
- 愛上 /爱上 (àishàng)love or infatuation or its object (often short-lived or unrequited)
- 動心 /动心 (dòngxīn)love or infatuation or its object (often short-lived or unrequited)
- 暗戀 /暗恋 (ànliàn)love or infatuation or its object (often short-lived or unrequited)
- 喜歡 /喜欢 (xǐhuān)love or infatuation or its object (often short-lived or unrequited)
- 白月光 (báiyuèguāng)the human object of such infatuation or affection
- 挤压 (jǐyā)to press or bruise between two hard bodies
- 挤 (jǐ)to press or bruise between two hard bodies
- 碾碎 (niǎnsuì)to reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding
- 压碎 (yāsuì)to reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding
- 压倒 (yādǎo)to overwhelm by pressure or weight
- 压 (yā)to oppress or burden grievously
- 粉碎 (fěnsuì)to overcome completely
- 碎 (suì)to be or become broken down or in
- 粉碎 (fěnsuì)to be or become broken down or in
- 破碎 (pòsuì)to be or become broken down or in
- 迷恋 (míliàn)to feel unrequited love
Czech drtit, drtit
- drtitto press or bruise between two hard bodies
- drtitto reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding
- drtitto overwhelm by pressure or weight
- drtitto oppress or burden grievously
- rozdrtitto overcome completely
- rozbít seto be or become broken down or in
Danish sammenstød, barrikade
- sammenstødviolent collision or compression; crash; destruction; ruin
- barrikadecrowd control barrier
- forelskelselove or infatuation or its object (often short-lived or unrequited)
- sammenpresseto press or bruise between two hard bodies
- finknuseto reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding
- sammentrykketo overwhelm by pressure or weight
- knuseto oppress or burden grievously
- knuseto overcome completely
- knuseto be or become broken down or in
Dutch overrompeling, stormloop
- overrompelingviolent crowding
- stormloopviolent crowding
- dranghekcrowd control barrier
- crushlove or infatuation or its object (often short-lived or unrequited)
- bevlieginglove or infatuation or its object (often short-lived or unrequited)
- verpletterento press or bruise between two hard bodies
- plettento press or bruise between two hard bodies
- vermalento reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding
- vergruizelento reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding
- verpletterento overwhelm by pressure or weight
- vermorzelento overwhelm by pressure or weight
- verdrukkento oppress or burden grievously
- verpletterento overcome completely
- overweldigento overcome completely
- een oogje hebben opto feel unrequited love
Esperanto enamiĝo, fulma enamiĝo
- enamiĝolove or infatuation or its object (often short-lived or unrequited)
- fulma enamiĝolove or infatuation or its object (often short-lived or unrequited)
- dispremito press or bruise between two hard bodies
- premegito press or bruise between two hard bodies
- frakasito press or bruise between two hard bodies
- disbatito press or bruise between two hard bodies
- muelito reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding
- pistito reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding
- dispremito reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding
- enamiĝito feel unrequited love
- enamiĝetito feel unrequited love
Finnish törmäys, murskaus
- törmäysviolent collision or compression; crash; destruction; ruin
- murskausviolent collision or compression; crash; destruction; ruin
- murskaantuminenviolent collision or compression; crash; destruction; ruin
- tuhoviolent collision or compression; crash; destruction; ruin
- puristusviolent pressure, as of a crowd
- tungosviolent crowding
- väentungosviolent crowding
- tungoscrowd which produces uncomfortable pressure
- mellakka-aitacrowd control barrier
- ihastuslove or infatuation or its object (often short-lived or unrequited)
- juhlatfestive function
- murskausprocess of crushing cane, or its season
- murskatato press or bruise between two hard bodies
- musertaato press or bruise between two hard bodies
- rusentaato press or bruise between two hard bodies
- liiskatato press or bruise between two hard bodies
- jauhaato reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding
- murskatato reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding
- hienontaato reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding
- murskatato overwhelm by pressure or weight
- musertaato overwhelm by pressure or weight
- möyhentääto overwhelm by pressure or weight
- musertaato oppress or burden grievously
- murskatato overcome completely
French barricade, béguin
- barricadecrowd control barrier
- béguinlove or infatuation or its object (often short-lived or unrequited)
- amourettelove or infatuation or its object (often short-lived or unrequited)
- faiblelove or infatuation or its object (often short-lived or unrequited)
- coup de cœurlove or infatuation or its object (often short-lived or unrequited)
- kicklove or infatuation or its object (often short-lived or unrequited)
- écraserto press or bruise between two hard bodies
- écrabouillerto press or bruise between two hard bodies
- concasserto reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding
- broyerto reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding
- pilerto reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding
- écraserto overwhelm by pressure or weight
- écrabouillerto overwhelm by pressure or weight
- écraserto oppress or burden grievously
- écraserto overcome completely
- s'écraserto be or become broken down or in
- avoir le béguinto feel unrequited love
German Zusammenprall, Kollision
- Zusammenprallviolent collision or compression; crash; destruction; ruin
- Kollisionviolent collision or compression; crash; destruction; ruin
- Zerschmetterungviolent collision or compression; crash; destruction; ruin
- Zerquetschungviolent collision or compression; crash; destruction; ruin
- Absperrungcrowd control barrier
- Polizeigittercrowd control barrier
- Schwarmlove or infatuation or its object (often short-lived or unrequited)
- Schwarmthe human object of such infatuation or affection
- Partyfestive function
- zerdrückento reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding
Greek συνθλίβω, συντρίβω
- συνθλίβω (synthlívo)to press or bruise between two hard bodies
- συντρίβω (syntrívo)to press or bruise between two hard bodies
- λιώνω (lióno)to press or bruise between two hard bodies
- συνθλίβω (synthlívo)to reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding
- συντρίβω (syntrívo)to reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding
- λιώνω (lióno)to overcome completely
Hebrew הידלקות, מחץ
- הידלקות (hidalqut)love or infatuation or its object (often short-lived or unrequited)
- מחץ (makhátz)to overwhelm by pressure or weight
Indonesian gebetan
- gebetanlove or infatuation or its object (often short-lived or unrequited)
Irish meil, meil
- meilto press or bruise between two hard bodies
- meilto reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding
Italian ressa, calca
- ressaviolent collision or compression; crash; destruction; ruin
- calcaviolent collision or compression; crash; destruction; ruin
- cottalove or infatuation or its object (often short-lived or unrequited)
- schiacciareto press or bruise between two hard bodies
- pigiareto press or bruise between two hard bodies
- frantumareto reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding
- sottomettereto overcome completely
- prendersi una cottato feel unrequited love
Japanese ときめき, 砕く
- ときめき (tokimeki)love or infatuation or its object (often short-lived or unrequited)
- 砕く (kudaku)to press or bruise between two hard bodies
Korean 호감, 누르다
- 호감 (hogam)love or infatuation or its object (often short-lived or unrequited)
- 누르다 (nureuda)to press or bruise between two hard bodies
- 짓이기다 (jinnigida)to reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding
Latin pīnsō, pervinco
- pīnsōto reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding
- pervincoto overcome completely
Malay remuk, renyuk
- remukto press or bruise between two hard bodies
- renyukto press or bruise between two hard bodies
- hancurto reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding
- kisarto reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding
Māori unuora, whēke
- unuoralove or infatuation or its object (often short-lived or unrequited)
- whēketo press or bruise between two hard bodies
- korotēto press or bruise between two hard bodies
- kotēto press or bruise between two hard bodies
- whakamatarikito reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding
Norwegian sammenpresse, finknuse
- sammenpresseto press or bruise between two hard bodies
- finknuseto reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding
- sammentrykketo overwhelm by pressure or weight
- knuseto oppress or burden grievously
- knuseto overcome completely
Norwegian Bokmål knuse
- knuseto be or become broken down or in
Polish crush, sympatia
- crushlove or infatuation or its object (often short-lived or unrequited)
- sympatialove or infatuation or its object (often short-lived or unrequited)
- zauroczenielove or infatuation or its object (often short-lived or unrequited)
- miażdżyćto press or bruise between two hard bodies
- zmiażdżyćto press or bruise between two hard bodies
- kruszyćto press or bruise between two hard bodies
- skruszyćto press or bruise between two hard bodies
- rozgniataćto press or bruise between two hard bodies
- rozgnieśćto press or bruise between two hard bodies
- przytłaczaćto press or bruise between two hard bodies
- przytłoczyćto press or bruise between two hard bodies
- przytłaczaćto overwhelm by pressure or weight
- przytłoczyćto overwhelm by pressure or weight
- przytłaczaćto oppress or burden grievously
- przytłoczyćto oppress or burden grievously
Portuguese choque, colisão
- choqueviolent collision or compression; crash; destruction; ruin
- colisãoviolent collision or compression; crash; destruction; ruin
- paixonitelove or infatuation or its object (often short-lived or unrequited)
- fraquinholove or infatuation or its object (often short-lived or unrequited)
- crushlove or infatuation or its object (often short-lived or unrequited)
- amassarto press or bruise between two hard bodies
- esmigalharto reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding
- pulverizarto reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding
- triturarto reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding
- esmagarto overwhelm by pressure or weight
- dominarto oppress or burden grievously
- subjugarto oppress or burden grievously
- vencerto oppress or burden grievously
- moerto be or become broken down or in
Romanian strivi, măcina
- strivito press or bruise between two hard bodies
- măcinato reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding
- pulverizato reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding
Russian разда́вливание, да́вка
- разда́вливание (razdávlivanije)violent collision or compression; crash; destruction; ruin
- да́вка (dávka)violent pressure, as of a crowd
- увлече́ние (uvlečénije)love or infatuation or its object (often short-lived or unrequited)
- пы́лкая любо́вь (pýlkaja ljubóvʹ)love or infatuation or its object (often short-lived or unrequited)
- влюбленность (vljublennostʹ)love or infatuation or its object (often short-lived or unrequited)
- дави́ть (davítʹ)to press or bruise between two hard bodies
- дроби́ть (drobítʹ)to reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding
- круши́ть (krušítʹ)to reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding
- разда́вливать (razdávlivatʹ)to overwhelm by pressure or weight
- дави́ть (davítʹ)to oppress or burden grievously
- подавля́ть (podavljátʹ)to overcome completely
- влюбля́ться (vljubljátʹsja)to feel unrequited love
Scottish Gaelic pronn, pronn
- pronnto press or bruise between two hard bodies
- pronnto reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding
- pronnto overwhelm by pressure or weight
Spanish aplastamiento, aplastamiento
- aplastamientoviolent collision or compression; crash; destruction; ruin
- aplastamientoviolent pressure, as of a crowd
- aplastamientoviolent crowding
- enamoramientolove or infatuation or its object (often short-lived or unrequited)
- flechazolove or infatuation or its object (often short-lived or unrequited)
- camotelove or infatuation or its object (often short-lived or unrequited)
- chaladuralove or infatuation or its object (often short-lived or unrequited)
- aplastarto press or bruise between two hard bodies
- destriparto press or bruise between two hard bodies
- escracharto press or bruise between two hard bodies
- machacarto reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding
- triturarto reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding
- majarto reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding
- aplastarto overwhelm by pressure or weight
- aplanarto overwhelm by pressure or weight
- allanarto overwhelm by pressure or weight
- verse gravemente afectado porto overwhelm by pressure or weight
- arrasarto overcome completely
- aplastarto overcome completely
Swedish trängsel, förälskelse
- trängselviolent pressure, as of a crowd
- förälskelselove or infatuation or its object (often short-lived or unrequited)
- krossato press or bruise between two hard bodies
- krossato reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding
- malato reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding
- pulvriserato reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding
Tagalog gusto, pagtingin
- gustolove or infatuation or its object (often short-lived or unrequited)
- pagtinginlove or infatuation or its object (often short-lived or unrequited)
Thai บด, ขยี้
- บด (bòt)to press or bruise between two hard bodies
- ขยี้ (kà-yîi)to press or bruise between two hard bodies
Turkish ezmek
- ezmekto press or bruise between two hard bodies
Ukrainian дави́ти
- дави́ти (davýty)to press or bruise between two hard bodies
Vietnamese đè, ép
- đèto press or bruise between two hard bodies
- épto press or bruise between two hard bodies
- nghiềnto reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding
Yiddish פֿאַרליבעניש, פֿאַרקאָכעניש
- פֿאַרליבעניש (farlibenish)love or infatuation or its object (often short-lived or unrequited)
- פֿאַרקאָכעניש (farkokhenish)love or infatuation or its object (often short-lived or unrequited)
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with crush
Anagrams
Cite this entry
crush. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/crush
“crush.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/crush. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “crush,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/crush.
Source: crush on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.