crush

[[t]krʌ̱ʃ[/t]]

crushes, crushing, crushed

1) VERB To crush something means to press it very hard so that its shape is destroyed or so that it breaks into pieces.

[V n] Andrew crushed his empty can...

[V n] Their vehicle was crushed by an army tank...

[V n] Peel and crush the garlic.

[V-ed] ...crushed ice.

2) VERB To crush a protest or movement, or a group of opponents, means to defeat it completely, usually by force.

[V n] The military operation was the first step in a plan to crush the uprising.

[V n] ...in his bid to crush the rebels.

Derived words:

crushing N-UNCOUNT usu N of n

...the violent crushing of anti-government demonstrations.

3) VERB: usu passive If you are crushed by something, it upsets you a great deal.

[be V-ed] Listen to criticism but don't be crushed by it.

Syn:

devastate

4) VERB: usu passive If you are crushed against someone or something, you are pushed or pressed against them.

[be V-ed prep] We were at the front, crushed against the stage.

5) N-COUNT: usu sing A crush is a crowd of people close together, in which it is difficult to move.

His thirteen-year-old son somehow got separated in the crush...

Everywhere he went he was mobbed by a crush of fans.

6) N-COUNT: usu N on n If you have a crush on someone, you are in love with them but do not have a relationship with them. [INFORMAL]

She had a crush on you, you know...

I'd got over my schoolgirl crush.