[syn: crushing, devastating]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Crush \Crush\ (kr[u^]sh), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Crushed
(kr[u^]sht); p. pr. & vb. n. Crushing.] [OE. cruschen,
crousshen, Of. cruisir, croissir, fr. LL. cruscire, prob. of
Ger. origin, from a derivative of the word seen in Goth.
kruistan to gnash; akin to Sw. krysta to squeeze, Dan.
kryste, Icel. kreysta.]
1. To press or bruise between two hard bodies; to squeeze, so
as to destroy the natural shape or integrity of the parts,
or to force together into a mass; as, to crush grapes.
[1913 Webster]
Ye shall not offer unto the Lord that which is
bruised, or crushed, or broken, or cut. --Lev. xxii.
24.
[1913 Webster]
The ass . . . thrust herself unto the wall, and
crushed Balaam's foot against the wall. --Num. xxii.
25.
[1913 Webster]
2. To reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding; to
comminute; as, to crush quartz.
[1913 Webster]
3. To overwhelm by pressure or weight; to beat or force down,
as by an incumbent weight.
[1913 Webster]
To crush the pillars which the pile sustain.
--Dryden.
[1913 Webster]
Truth, crushed to earth, shall rise again. --Bryant.
[1913 Webster]
4. To oppress or burden grievously.
[1913 Webster]
Thou shalt be only oppressed and crushed alway.
--Deut.
xxviii. 33.
[1913 Webster]
5. To overcome completely; to subdue totally.
[1913 Webster]
Speedily overtaking and crushing the rebels. --Sir.
W. Scott.
[1913 Webster]
6. to subdue or overwhelm (a person) by argument or a cutting
remark; to cause (a person) to feel chagrin or
humiliation; to squelch.
[PJC]
To crush a cup, to drink. [Obs.]
To crush out.
(a) To force out or separate by pressure, as juice from
grapes.
(b) To overcome or destroy completely; to suppress.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Crushing \Crush"ing\, a.
That crushes; overwhelming. "The blow must be quick and
crushing." --Macualay.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
crushing
adj 1: physically or spiritually devastating; often used in
combination; "a crushing blow"; "a crushing rejection";
"bone-crushing" [syn: crushing, devastating]
n 1: forceful prevention; putting down by power or authority;
"the suppression of heresy"; "the quelling of the
rebellion"; "the stifling of all dissent" [syn:
suppression, crushing, quelling, stifling]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
42 Moby Thesaurus words for "crushing":
Herculean, annoying, arduous, awkward, backbreaking, besetting,
bothersome, burdensome, chastening, disconcerting, disturbing,
effortful, embarrassing, forced, grueling, hard-earned,
hard-fought, heavy, hefty, humbling, humiliating, humiliative,
irksome, killing, labored, laborious, mortifying, onerous, operose,
oppressive, painful, plaguey, punishing, strained, strenuous,
toilsome, tough, troublesome, trying, uphill, vexatious,
wearisome