# crush

/ˈkɹəʃ/ (US) · /kɹˈʌʃ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/crush
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. to press or squeeze

verb · CEFR A2

to press something so hard that it breaks, loses its shape, or turns into powder.

For teachers: to compress an object between two hard surfaces, resulting in a loss of structural integrity or reduction to particles.

- You need to crush the garlic with a flat knife before chopping it.
- The industrial machine can crush large blocks of recycled concrete into fine gravel in a matter of seconds.

### 2. to defeat completely

verb · CEFR B2

to defeat a person, an army, or an idea completely so they cannot fight back.

For teachers: to overcome or subdue an opponent or movement entirely, often through overwhelming force or authority.

- The government used the army to crush the rebellion in the capital.
- The heavy tax burden served to crush any hope of economic recovery for the small business owners in the region.

### 3. to do very well

verb · CEFR B2 · Informal

to do something extremely well, like a performance or a job interview.

For teachers: to perform a task or participate in an event with exceptional skill or success.

- You totally crushed that presentation; everyone was really impressed.
- After weeks of preparation, she absolutely crushed the interview and was offered the position before she even got home.

### 4. romantic interest

noun · CEFR B1 · Informal

a strong but usually temporary feeling of love for someone you do not know well.

For teachers: a brief but intense infatuation with someone, typically unvoiced or unrequited.

- I had a huge crush on a famous singer when I was a teenager.
- He realized his feelings were more than just a passing crush when he found himself unable to focus on anything else during the day.

### 5. a crowded group

noun · CEFR B2

a large group of people pushed close together in a small space.

For teachers: a dense crowd of people resulting in uncomfortable physical pressure.

- There was a real crush at the stadium gates as everyone tried to get in at once.
- The security guards struggled to manage the crush of fans gathered outside the hotel entrance.

### 6. display blacks

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

when dark colors in a video look the same and you lose detail.

For teachers: a loss of shadow detail in an image or video where dark grey tones become indistinguishable from black.

- The new monitor has great colors, but there is some black crush in dark scenes.
- Professional colorists often complain about black crush on consumer-grade OLED panels when viewing high-dynamic-range content.

Usage: Often used in the phrase 'black crush'.

## Examples

- I had a huge crush on my math teacher in high school.
- She realized her feelings were more than just a passing crush when she couldn't stop thinking about him for months.
- While teenage crushes are often dismissed as superficial, they represent a significant developmental milestone in navigating the complexities of interpersonal attraction and emotional vulnerability.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.