What does crush mean?
Crush functions as both a noun and a verb with several distinct meanings. As a verb, it most commonly means to press or squeeze something with such force that it is flattened, broken, or destroyed — grapes are crushed for wine, cans are crushed for recycling. It can also mean to overwhelm or defeat an opponent or rebellion utterly. As a noun, its most familiar modern use describes a brief but intense feeling of romantic attraction toward someone, often unspoken — a sense that emerged from American slang in the late nineteenth century. A further noun sense refers to a densely packed crowd of people, a usage more prevalent in British English. The word carries connotations of overwhelming force when physical, and of helpless, consuming emotion when romantic. Its versatility across physical, emotional, and social contexts makes it one of English's more expressive everyday words.
To press or squeeze something forcefully enough to damage, flatten, or destroy it; also, to subdue or defeat someone or something decisively.
"The army crushed the uprising within days."
An intense but usually short-lived feeling of romantic attraction toward someone, often not reciprocated or openly expressed; also, a densely packed crowd of people.
"She blushed whenever her crush walked into the room."
The romantic sense is informal; the crowd sense appears mainly in British English.
Used chiefly for the romantic-infatuation sense, e.g. discussing multiple people's attractions; the crowd sense rarely takes a plural form.
"Teen magazines are full of stories about celebrity crushes."
The romantic meaning of 'crush' — being crushed under the weight of affection — dates back to the 1880s, when it first appeared in American college slang.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of crush
Crush entered Middle English around the fourteenth century, likely from Old French croissir or a related Romance source, though its ultimate origin remains somewhat uncertain. It originally referred to pounding or breaking by force before expanding into figurative uses about defeating opponents or overwhelming emotions. The romantic noun sense arose in American slang during the 1880s, apparently from the idea of being emotionally overwhelmed or 'crushed' by infatuation. It shares distant Germanic roots with words like crust, crumb, and crumpet, which relate to crumbling or breaking.
Related word forms
How crush is actually used
The verb sense is neutral in register and common in both everyday and formal contexts. The noun referring to romantic infatuation is informal and especially associated with adolescents and young adults. The crowd sense ('a crush at the concert') is more common in British English than American English.
Easily confused with crush
A crutch is a support used to aid walking when injured, whereas a crush means to compress something forcefully or to feel romantic infatuation.