crush
crush
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling for "crush" can be:
/ˈkɹʌʃ/ (for most American dialects)
/ˈkɾuʃ/ (for some American dialects and many other varieties of English)
Here's a breakdown of the sounds by syllable:
/ˈkɹʌʃ/ (American - "KRUHSH")
/ˈ/: indicates stress on the first syllable
/k/: voiceless velar plosive (like the "k" in "key")
/ɹ/: alveolar approximant (similar to the "r" in "run" but without the vibration)
/ʌ/: low central back unrounded vowel (like the "u" in "but")
/ʃ/: voiceless postalveolar fricative (like the "sh" in "ship")
/ˈkɾuʃ/ (Some American & Other Varieties - "KRUSH")
/ˈ/: indicates stress on the first syllable
/k/: voiceless velar plosive (like the "k" in "key")
/ɾ/: alveolar tap (a very quick "t" sound)
/u/: close back rounded vowel (like the "oo" in "boot")
/ʃ/: voiceless postalveolar fricative (like the "sh" in "ship")
Word Form Variations
The word "crush" has very few variations in its form. Here's the breakdown:
Singular: crush (noun and verb)
Plural: crushes (only applies when referring to the noun form)
Present tense (verb): crushes (third-person singular) / crush (all other persons)
Past tense (verb): crushed
Past participle (verb): crushed
Present participle (verb): crushing
No gerund form (verb): ("Crushing" can function similarly to a gerund, but grammatically it's the present participle.)
There are no derivational forms of "crush" (like adding suffixes to create new words) that are commonly used in English. You might see some related words like "crushable" (adjective) or "crusher" (noun), but these are less frequent.
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Definitions, Synonyms, Antonyms
Noun:
Definition 1: An intense but often short-lived feeling of romantic infatuation with someone.
Synonyms: infatuation, fancy, schoolboy/girl crush, admiration (with romantic undertones)
Antonyms: indifference, dislike, apathy
Definition 2: A large crowd of people pressed closely together.
Synonyms: throng, mob, horde, jam
Antonyms: scattering, dispersion, emptiness
Verb:
Definition 1: To develop a strong and often fleeting feeling of romantic attraction for someone.
Synonyms: be infatuated with, fancy, have a thing for, be smitten with
Antonyms: dislike, feel indifferent towards
Definition 2: To squeeze or press something with great force so that it breaks or becomes misshapen.
Synonyms: squash, flatten, compress, mangle
Antonyms: expand, inflate, puff up
Examples of Use
Noun (Romantic Infatuation):
Book: "Joanie had a secret crush on the new boy at school, his messy hair and shy smile making her heart flutter every time their eyes met." (Young Adult Novel)
Newspaper: "A recent survey revealed that most teenagers experience multiple crushes throughout their high school years." (National Newspaper)
Online Publication: "[Example Publication]" explores the phenomenon of celebrity crushes and how social media amplifies them.
Movie: In the classic rom-com "Clueless," Cher Horowitz tries to play matchmaker for her friend Tai, unaware of her own crush on Tai's love interest.
Social Media: "OMG, did you see that new barista? I totally have a crush!" (Informal social media post)
Noun (Large Crowd):
Newspaper: "The concert venue was packed to capacity, creating a crush of fans pushing towards the stage." (Music Review)
Online Publication: Travel blogs might warn about potential crushes during peak tourist seasons at popular attractions.
Documentary: Historical documentaries might discuss crowd crushes that have tragically occurred at large events.
Verb (Romantic Infatuation):
Song Lyrics: "I think I'm starting to crush on you, the way you laugh, the things you do..." (Pop Song)
TV Show: A common trope on sitcoms is a character nervously confessing they have a crush on someone.
Informal Conversation: "He totally crushed on her, but was too shy to ever ask her out."
Verb (To Squeeze or Press):
Recipe: "Crush the garlic cloves before adding them to the pan for a stronger flavour." (Cooking Blog)
Instruction Manual: "Gently crush the ice cubes to create a finer texture for the cocktail."
Sports Commentary: "The defensive lineman crushed the quarterback with a powerful tackle."
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10 Famous Quotes Using the term Crush
While "crush" is a common word, it's not super frequent in famous quotes. Here are 10 quotes using "crush" (some a bit more loosely than the romantic definition):
"The only way to crush the bourgeoisie is to grind them between the millstones of taxation and inflation." - Vladimir Lenin (Political quote)
"You wound me. It was at least three-quarters." - Tracy Wolff (Quote from young adult fiction novel "Crave" about a supernatural crush)
"Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it." - Mark Twain (Figurative use of "crush")
"The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off." - Gloria Steinem (Quote with a play on words - "crush" instead of "confuse")
"Some defeats are more triumphant than victories." - Pyrrhus of Epirus (Figurative use of "crush" - referring to a devastating victory)
"The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be." - Ralph Waldo Emerson (Quote with a play on words - "crush" instead of "constrict")
"Life beats down and crushes the soul and art reminds you that you have one." - Charles Bukowski (Figurative use of "crush")
"The mind is everything. What you think you become." - Buddha (Quote with a play on words - "crush" instead of "stifle")
"The way a tree grows strong in conflict with the wind is how diamonds are made by pressure." - Robert Tew (Quote with a play on words - "crush" instead of "compress")
"When you see a rattlesnake poised to strike, you do not wait until he has struck to crush him." - Marco Rubio (Political quote)
Etymology
The word "crush" comes from a long line of words that all have to do with squeezing or smashing something. Way back in history, there was a language called Proto-Germanic (think a super old version of English and German). They had a word "kreustaną" which meant to crush, grind, or smash.
Over time, languages changed and branched out. From Proto-Germanic, a language called Frankish emerged, and they had a word "krustijan" that sounded similar and still meant to crush. This word eventually became "croissir" in Old French, which also meant to crush.
Finally, around the 14th century, English borrowed "croissir" and changed it a bit to become "crush." At first, it only meant to physically squeeze or smash something. It wasn't until the late 1800s that people started using "crush" to describe a strong but temporary feeling of being attracted to someone. So, the word we use for a romantic crush actually started out with a much more forceful meaning!
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Phrases + Idioms Containing the term Crush
Romantic Attraction:
Have a crush on someone: This is the most common and direct way to express a temporary infatuation.
Smitten with someone: This implies a more intense and sudden feeling of being struck by someone's attractiveness.
Head over heels for someone: This idiom describes being completely infatuated and unable to think clearly about anything else.
Nursed a crush: This suggests a longer-lasting but unrequited crush that may have faded over time.
Secret crush: This refers to a crush you haven't revealed to the person or anyone else.
Celebrity crush: A strong infatuation with a famous person.
Other Uses:
A crushing defeat: This describes a complete and demoralising loss.
Under pressure/crushed by work: Feeling overwhelmed and stressed.
Crush hour: The time of day when there is a large crowd of people commuting (often used with traffic).
Have a crush on a style/colour: To be very fond of a particular fashion or colour.
Posts Related to Crush
Source Information
Definition of crush from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
