English Reference
adjective · noun

crushing

adj. · n.
US /ˈkɹəʃɪŋ/ UK /kɹˈʌʃɪŋ/ crush·ing

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate

    adj.used to describe a defeat or a force that is so strong it cannot be stopped.

    adj.describing a force, defeat, or weight that is overwhelming or absolute in its power.

    Simple

    The team suffered a crushing defeat in the final game of the season.

    In context

    The candidate faced a crushing electoral loss, securing less than ten percent of the popular vote in her own district.

  2. 02 B2 Upper Intermediate

    adj.causing a feeling of great sadness or loss of hope.

    adj.causing extreme disappointment, distress, or a sense of being emotionally overwhelmed.

    Simple

    It was a crushing blow when he found out he didn't get the job.

    In context

    The news of the project's cancellation was a crushing disappointment to the staff who had worked on it for years.

  3. 03 C1 Advanced Technical

    n.the act of pressing something so hard that it breaks or changes shape.

    n.the physical action of compressing or pulverising a substance through intense pressure.

    Simple

    The crushing of the grapes is the first step in making this wine.

    In context

    Industrial machinery is used for the crushing of ore to extract precious metals from the raw rock.

All of those results pointed to a single moment of crushing impact by something heavy and fast-moving.

Ars Technica· 17 Aug 2026

By every metric available, the launch industry is crushing it: Prices have never been more competitive, launches never more frequent, and access to space never more rapid.

Ars Technica· 17 Aug 2026

By surface analysis, crush + -ing.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated