squush: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Low. Primarily informal, childish, or humorous.Informal, colloquial, often playful or onomatopoeic.
Quick answer
What does “squush” mean?
To crush or flatten something soft with a wet, squelching sound.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To crush or flatten something soft with a wet, squelching sound.
Informally, to strongly suppress, reject, or defeat; to compress or squeeze something into a confined space.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The word is rare in formal contexts in both varieties. Slightly more recognized in AmE due to occasional use in children's media and comics.
Connotations
Playful, childish, sometimes mildly disgusting due to association with wet, messy substances.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in both. More likely to be encountered in spoken, playful contexts or expressive writing than in standard prose.
Grammar
How to Use “squush” in a Sentence
[sb] squushes [sth][sth] gets squushedsquush [sth] flat/togetherVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “squush” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- Don't squush the sandwiches in your lunchbox!
- The child loved to squush the clay between his fingers.
- The proposal was quickly squushed in the initial meeting.
American English
- He squushed the bug with his boot.
- Let's squush all the luggage into the trunk.
- My hopes for a promotion got squushed.
adverb
British English
- The putty sank squushily into the mould.
American English
- The mud gave way squushily underfoot.
adjective
British English
- The cake had a delightfully squushy texture.
- After the rain, the path was all squushy mud.
American English
- The overripe tomatoes were completely squushy.
- He prefers a firm pillow, not a squushy one.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used. Potential in very informal, metaphorical sense: 'The new regulations squushed our expansion plans.'
Academic
Not used.
Everyday
Playful description of actions involving soft, wet materials: 'I accidentally squushed the pastry.'
Technical
Not used.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “squush”
- Using it in formal writing.
- Spelling as 'sqush' or 'squish'. ('Squish' is more common).
- Overusing as a synonym for 'defeat'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but it is informal and non-standard. It is recognized as a playful or onomatopoeic blend of 'squash' and 'squelch'.
They are often used interchangeably, but 'squush' can imply a slightly wetter, messier, or more forceful action than 'squish'.
Yes, typically as 'squushed' (e.g., 'I squushed it').
It is not strongly associated with either variety. Its use is dictated by register (informal/playful) rather than by regional dialect.
To crush or flatten something soft with a wet, squelching sound.
Squush is usually informal, colloquial, often playful or onomatopoeic. in register.
Squush: in British English it is pronounced /skwʊʃ/, and in American English it is pronounced /skwʊʃ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “squush the rumor (informal: to stop a rumor)”
- “to feel squushed (to feel emotionally crushed or confined)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
SOUND: 'SQU-U-SH' mimics the sound of stepping in wet mud.
Conceptual Metaphor
CRITICISM/REJECTION IS PHYSICAL COMPRESSION (e.g., 'His idea was immediately squushed by the committee.')
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'squush' LEAST appropriate?