crush

Noun · Verb
Synonyms: crushed leatherjampresspuppy lovecalf loveinfatuationcrunchcompactionoppresssuppresssquashsquelch

WordNet 3.0

Noun (4)

  1. leather that has had its grain pattern accentuatedSynonyms: crushed leather
  2. a dense crowd of peopleSynonyms: jampress
  3. temporary love of an adolescentSynonyms: puppy lovecalf loveinfatuation
  4. the act of crushingSynonyms: crunchcompaction

Verb (8)

  1. come down on or keep down by unjust use of one's authority“The government oppresses political activists”Synonyms: oppresssuppress
  2. to compress with violence, out of natural shape or condition“crush an aluminum can”“squeeze a lemon”Synonyms: squashsquelchmashsqueeze
  3. come out better in a competition, race, or conflict“Agassi beat Becker in the tennis championship”“We beat the competition”“Harvard defeated Yale in the last football game”Synonyms: beatbeat outshelltrouncevanquish
  4. break into small pieces“The car crushed the toy”
  5. humiliate or depress completely“She was crushed by his refusal of her invitation”“The death of her son smashed her”Synonyms: smashdemolish
  6. crush or bruise“jam a toe”Synonyms: jam
  7. make ineffective“Martin Luther King tried to break down racial discrimination”Synonyms: break down
  8. become injured, broken, or distorted by pressure“The plastic bottle crushed against the wall”
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Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

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]

Crush \Crush\ (kr[u^]sh), v. i. To be or become broken down or in, or pressed into a smaller compass, by external weight or force; as, an eggshell crushes easily. [1913 Webster]
Crush \Crush\, n.

1.A violent collision or compression; a crash; destruction; ruin. [1913 Webster]

The wreck of matter, and the crush of worlds.— Addison.[1913 Webster]

2.Violent pressure, as of a crowd; a crowd which produced uncomfortable pressure; as, a crush at a reception. [1913 Webster]

Crush hat, a hat which collapses, and can be carried under the arm, and when expanded is held in shape by springs; hence, any hat not injured by compressing.

Crush room, a large room in a theater, opera house, etc., where the audience may promenade or converse during the intermissions; a foyer. [1913 Webster]

Politics leave very little time for the bow window at White's in the day, or for the crush room of the opera at night.— Macaulay.[1913 Webster]
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