crush
B1Informal to Neutral
Definition
Meaning
To press or squeeze something with force, deforming or breaking it.
To defeat completely; to subdue emotionally or physically; an intense, often fleeting, infatuation.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word has a broad metaphorical extension from the physical act of destruction to emotional states (romantic infatuation) and decisive defeat. Context is crucial for disambiguation.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. 'Crush' as a romantic infatuation is equally common in both. The noun for a crowded event (e.g., 'the Friday night crush') might be slightly more common in UK English.
Connotations
Identical. The physical and emotional connotations are shared.
Frequency
Equally high frequency in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
crush somethingcrush something into somethingcrush on someonebe/get crushedcrush something against somethingVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Crush it! (to do something excellently)”
- “crush someone's hopes/spirits”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
'Our new strategy will crush the competition.' (Metaphor for defeat)
Academic
'The regime moved swiftly to crush dissent.' (Historical/Political Science)
Everyday
'I used to have a huge crush on my maths teacher.' / 'Can you crush these cans for recycling?'
Technical
'The machine uses rollers to crush the ore into fine particles.' (Engineering/Mining)
Examples
By Part of Speech
noun
British English
- She's had a crush on the lead singer for ages.
- There was a bit of a crush getting onto the tube.
American English
- My first crush was on a girl in my second-grade class.
- Add a tablespoon of orange crush to the mixture.
verb
British English
- Mind you don't crush the crisps when you sit down.
- The army was called in to crush the uprising.
American English
- Crush the garlic before adding it to the pan.
- The Lakers crushed the Celtics in last night's game.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The child crushed the paper cup in his hand.
- He has a crush on his classmate.
- Be careful not to crush the eggs in the shopping bag.
- Her dreams of becoming an actress were crushed by the harsh criticism.
- The dictator's regime brutally crushed any form of protest.
- I thought I was over my crush on him, but seeing him again brought it all back.
- The geopolitical strategy aimed to crush the insurgency through economic as well as military means.
- He delivered a crushing rebuttal that left his opponent's argument in tatters.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a CRUSHer truck smashing cars: it applies great force (CRUSH) to compress them.
Conceptual Metaphor
EMOTION IS PHYSICAL FORCE ('She was crushed by the news'), COMPETITION IS PHYSICAL COMBAT ('They crushed the opposition').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'краш' (internet slang for 'crash' or a handsome man). 'Crush' (romantic) is best translated as 'влюблённость', 'симпатия'. The verb 'to crush' is 'раздавить' or 'подавить' (rebellion).
Common Mistakes
- Using 'crush' for a long-term, serious love (it implies a temporary, often unspoken infatuation). Confusing 'crush' (v) with 'crash' (v). Incorrect: *'I crushed my car into a tree.' (Correct: 'crashed').
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'crush' used to mean a romantic infatuation?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, its primary meaning is physical compression. The romantic meaning is a very common, but secondary, metaphorical extension.
Yes, informally 'to crush it' means to perform something exceptionally well. Also, having a 'crush' can be a positive, exciting feeling.
'Crush' implies applying pressure until something loses its shape or is destroyed into small pieces. 'Break' is more general and can mean to separate into pieces, often by a sharp force, not necessarily pressure.
Yes, it can be a noun for a machine or person that crushes (e.g., 'a can crusher'), or slang for something excellent or devastating ('That goal was a crusher for the other team').