crush

 
Pronunciation: /krʌʃ/

verb

[with object]
  • 1deform, pulverize, or force inwards by compressing forcefully: you can crush a pill between two spoons a labourer was crushed to death by a lorry (as adjective crushed) the crushed remains of a Ford Cortina
  • crease or crumple (cloth or paper).
  • 2violently subdue (opposition or a rebellion): the government had taken elaborate precautions to crush any resistance
  • 3make (someone) feel overwhelmingly disappointed or embarrassed: I was crushed—was I not good enough? (as adjective crushing) the news came as a crushing blow

noun

  • 1 [usually in singular] a crowd of people pressed closely together: a number of youngsters fainted in the crush
  • 2 informal a brief but intense infatuation for someone: she did have a crush on Dr Russell
  • 3 [mass noun] a drink made from the juice of pressed fruit: lemon crush
  • 4 (also crush pen) a fenced passage with one narrow end, used for handling cattle or sheep.

Phrasal Verbs

crush on

US informal be infatuated with: he’s awesome, so it wasn’t too surprising that other girls were crushing on him

Derivatives

crushable

adjective

crusher

noun

crushingly

adverb

Origin:

Middle English: from Old French cruissir, 'gnash (teeth) or crack', of unknown origin