Basic+ Word of the Day: crush

crush (verb, noun) past tense: crushed

Crush the ingredients together to form a paste.

When you crush something, you press or squeeze it with force to change its shape.

• The villagers crushed the grapes with their feet to make wine.
• When the bus backed up, it crushed the small car.

Crush can also mean that you are very upset or shocked about something.

• I was crushed to hear about the young man's death.

A crush can be ‘a crowd of people.’

• The crush of soldiers defeated their enemy.

Common uses

If you are very attracted to another person, even for a short time, you may have a crush on them. Many times, the other person may not know how you feel. You may hope they have a crush on you as well.

In pop culture

Listen to Ella Fitzgerald sing, “I’ve Got a Crush on You.” When she says, “I’ve got a crush on you, sweetie pie,” she is telling someone that she really likes him. ‘Sweetie pie’ is something you call someone you love because they are as sweet as pie.

There are other meanings of crush.