I. crush 1 /krʌʃ/ BrE AmE verb [transitive]
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: cruisir ]
1 . to press something so hard that it breaks or is damaged:
His leg was crushed in the accident.
Two people were crushed to death in the rush to escape.
2 . to press something in order to break it into very small pieces or into a powder:
Crush two cloves of garlic.
3 . crush a rebellion/uprising/revolt etc to use severe methods to stop people from fighting you or opposing you SYN put down :
The revolution was crushed within days.
4 . crush sb’s hopes/enthusiasm/confidence etc to make someone lose all hope, confidence etc
5 . to make someone feel extremely upset or shocked:
Sara was crushed by their insults.
crush on somebody phrasal verb American English informal
to have a feeling of romantic love for someone, especially someone you do not know well:
a guy in my class that I’m crushing on
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ press to push something down or against a surface with your fingers or foot:
The doctor gently pressed her stomach.
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To move forward, press the accelerator.
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I pressed ‘delete’ and started again.
▪ squeeze to press something inwards from both sides:
It’s one of those balls that make a funny noise when you squeeze it.
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Squeeze the lemon and add the juice to the sauce.
▪ squash to press something against a surface accidentally and damage it by making it flat:
Don’t squash the tomatoes.
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He sat on my hat and squashed it.
▪ crush to press something very hard so that it breaks into very small pieces, or is very badly damaged:
Crush two cloves of garlic.
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The front of the car was completely crushed in the crash.
▪ mash to press cooked vegetables or fruit until they are soft and smooth:
Mash the potatoes while they are warm.
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Babies love mashed bananas.
▪ grind to press something solid until it becomes a powder, using a machine or tool:
the machine that grinds the corn
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freshly ground coffee
II. crush 2 BrE AmE noun
1 . [singular] a crowd of people pressed so close together that it is difficult for them to move:
There’s always such a crush on the train in the mornings.
2 . [countable] a strong feeling of romantic love for someone, especially one that a young person has for someone older who they do not know well ⇨ infatuation :
She had a huge crush on her geography teacher.
It’s just a schoolgirl crush.
3 . [countable] American English informal someone who you have a feeling of romantic love for, but who you do not know well:
a first date with your crush