crush
v. · n.-
1 to press or squeeze (v.) A2 Elementaryto press something so hard that it breaks, loses its shape, or turns into powder.
to compress an object between two hard surfaces, resulting in a loss of structural integrity or reduction to particles.
ExampleYou need to crush the garlic with a flat knife before chopping it.
ExampleThe industrial machine can crush large blocks of recycled concrete into fine gravel in a matter of seconds.
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2 to defeat completely (v.) B2 Upper Intermediateto defeat a person, an army, or an idea completely so they cannot fight back.
to overcome or subdue an opponent or movement entirely, often through overwhelming force or authority.
ExampleThe government used the army to crush the rebellion in the capital.
ExampleThe heavy tax burden served to crush any hope of economic recovery for the small business owners in the region.
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3 to do very well (v.) B2 Upper Intermediate Informalto do something extremely well, like a performance or a job interview.
to perform a task or participate in an event with exceptional skill or success.
ExampleYou totally crushed that presentation; everyone was really impressed.
ExampleAfter weeks of preparation, she absolutely crushed the interview and was offered the position before she even got home.
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4 romantic interest (n.) B1 Intermediate Informala strong but usually temporary feeling of love for someone you do not know well.
a brief but intense infatuation with someone, typically unvoiced or unrequited.
ExampleI had a huge crush on a famous singer when I was a teenager.
ExampleHe realized his feelings were more than just a passing crush when he found himself unable to focus on anything else during the day.
PitfallI have a crush with my classmate.I have a crush on my classmate.The noun 'crush' always takes the preposition 'on' when identifying the person you like.
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5 a crowded group (n.) B2 Upper Intermediatea large group of people pushed close together in a small space.
a dense crowd of people resulting in uncomfortable physical pressure.
ExampleThere was a real crush at the stadium gates as everyone tried to get in at once.
ExampleThe security guards struggled to manage the crush of fans gathered outside the hotel entrance.
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6 display blacks (n.) C1 Advanced Technical Computingwhen dark colors in a video look the same and you lose detail.
a loss of shadow detail in an image or video where dark grey tones become indistinguishable from black.
ExampleThe new monitor has great colors, but there is some black crush in dark scenes.
ExampleProfessional colorists often complain about black crush on consumer-grade OLED panels when viewing high-dynamic-range content.
UsageOften used in the phrase 'black crush'.
From Middle English cruschen (“to crush, smash, squeeze, squash”), from Old French croissir (“to crush”), from Late Latin crusciō (“to crush”), from Frankish krustijan (“to crush, squeeze, squash”), from Proto-Germanic *kreustaną (“to crush, grind, strike, smash”). Cognate with Middle Low German tôkrosten (“to crush, shatter”), Swedish krysta (“to squeeze”), Danish kryste (“to squash”), Icelandic kreista (“to squeeze, squash”), Faroese kroysta (“to squeeze”), Gothic 𐌺𐍂𐌹𐌿𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌽 (kriustan, “to gnash”). Akin also to Middle Dutch crosen (“to bruise, crush”), Middle Low German krossen, krö̂sen, tôkrö̂sen (“to break, shatter”), Old Swedish krusa (“to crush”).