Definition of crush

Short definition: The word crush means a strong feeling of liking or attraction toward someone, often in a shy or secret way. The word crush is usually used to describe romantic interest that makes people feel excited, nervous, and happy at the same time.

Looking for a clear and natural explanation of the word crush? The word crush is very common in daily English and can describe both physical actions and emotional feelings. You might hear it when talking about breaking something, feeling strong romantic attraction, or even being overwhelmed by pressure. Because of this, crush is a simple word with many emotional and practical meanings. Below, each meaning is explained in a natural and human way, so it feels easy to understand in real life.

Forms: crush, crushes, crushed, crushing
Related: crusher n., crushable adj.
Syllable: crush

1. A strong romantic feeling for someone.

   A crush is the feeling you get when you really like someone in a romantic way. It often comes with excitement, nervousness, and thinking about that person a lot. Many people have a crush before they ever start a relationship.

   She has a crush on her classmate.
   He finally told his crush how he felt.
   Everyone knew about her secret crush.

   Synonyms: infatuation, romantic interest, admiration, secret love, strong liking, emotional attraction, puppy love, romantic feeling, love interest, heart interest, tender feeling, early love
   Antonyms: indifference, dislike, rejection, apathy, emotional distance, lack of interest, cold feeling, detachment, boredom, neutrality, emotional block, disinterest

2. To press something so hard that it breaks or loses shape.

   To crush something means to press it with great force until it breaks, bends, or becomes flat. This can happen with objects like cans, boxes, or soft materials. It shows strong physical pressure.

   He crushed the empty can with his foot.
   The box was crushed during delivery.
   Be careful not to crush the bread in your bag.

   Synonyms: smash, flatten, squeeze, press hard, squash, break down, compress, mash, collapse, compact, grind, squeeze flat
   Antonyms: protect, preserve, keep intact, save, support, strengthen, repair, fix, build up, restore, hold together, maintain

3. A feeling of being emotionally overwhelmed.

   Crush can also describe a strong emotional pressure. When problems, stress, or sadness feel too heavy, people say they feel crushed. In this sense, crush means being deeply affected inside.

   The bad news completely crushed him.
   She felt crushed after losing the competition.
   The rejection crushed her confidence.

   Synonyms: overwhelm, break someone down, emotionally hit, hurt deeply, defeat emotionally, shatter confidence, weigh down, depress, discourage, burden heavily, shake badly, bring low
   Antonyms: encourage, lift up, support emotionally, inspire, strengthen, motivate, comfort, cheer up, empower, reassure, build confidence, give hope

4. A big and easy victory over someone.

   In sports or competition, to crush an opponent means to defeat them very easily. It shows that one side was much stronger than the other.

   The team crushed their rivals in the final.
   She crushed the competition.
   They were crushed by a much stronger team.

   Synonyms: defeat badly, dominate, overpower, destroy in competition, win easily, beat soundly, overwhelm in contest, outclass, steamroll, humiliate in play, overpower fully, take down easily
   Antonyms: lose to, be defeated, struggle, barely win, tie, draw, compete closely, fall behind, fail against, be beaten, come second, be outmatched

5. A strong liking for something.

   People sometimes use crush to talk about liking something a lot, not just a person. You might say you have a crush on a song, a movie star, or even a hobby. This meaning is lighter and playful.

   I have a crush on that new song.
   She has a crush on that actor.
   He developed a crush on photography.

   Synonyms: strong liking, big interest, admiration, fondness, favorite thing, personal obsession, strong preference, love for, enthusiasm, emotional attachment, special interest, personal passion
   Antonyms: boredom, dislike, indifference, lack of interest, apathy, rejection, cold feeling, emotional distance, no attraction, disinterest, neutrality, detachment