What does squashy mean?
Squashy is an informal adjective meaning soft and easily compressed, flattened, or indented by pressure. It describes the texture of objects such as shoes, cushions, furniture, cakes, and soft fruit, often suggesting that they give way readily when pressed. The term can carry a mildly negative implication when something is excessively soft or has lost its firmness, as in a worn-out sofa or an overfilled cushion. It can also be used approvingly for comfortable footwear or food with a soft, yielding texture. Derived from the verb “squash” with the suffix “-y,” squashy gives a concise, conversational description of materials and objects that yield rather than resist pressure.
adjectiveSoft and easily compressed or flattened under pressure.
- Soft and easily compressed, flattened, or indented under pressure.
"She chose a pair of squashy trainers for long walks."
"The tomatoes were small but wonderfully squashy."
"His old sofa had become rather squashy in the middle."
From shoes to cushions, squashy marks anything that gives way before it gives out.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does squashy come from?
The adjective was formed from the verb “squash” by adding the productive suffix “-y,” which can create a descriptive word meaning “having the quality of.” It belongs to the same modern English word family as “squash,” “squashed,” and “squashing.”
Related word forms
How squashy is actually used
Informal and descriptive. It is especially common when describing footwear, cushions, furniture, fruit, and other things with a soft or yielding texture.
Easily confused with squashy
Squashy describes something that can be compressed or flattened, whereas squishy emphasizes a soft, yielding texture when pressed.