A Crush Meaning Infatuation Is Barely a Century Old
To crush is to press something out of shape. The romantic noun, meaning a brief infatuation, is a late American addition.
To crush is to press something hard enough to break or deform it. The romantic noun is recent: *a crush*, meaning a brief infatuation, is recorded only from the 1880s in American use, and it started as slang about being overwhelmed — the same image as being crushed by a weight. The word covers a wide range, from crushing ice to crushing a rebellion to a crush of people at a gate.
- To press out of shape. *Crush the garlic.*
- To defeat utterly. *Crush the opposition.*
- A crowd. *A crush at the entrance.*
- An infatuation. *A schoolgirl crush.*
- Crushing — overwhelming. *A crushing defeat.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | crush | Crush it. |
| Past | crushed | It was crushed. |
| Noun | crush | A big crush. |
| Adjective | crushing | A crushing blow. |
| Compound | crush barrier | Crush barriers. |
- Crush the biscuits for the base.Cooking.
- The rebellion was crushed within days.Force.
- She had a crush on her teacher.Infatuation.
Crush and its cousins
- Crush — press until deformed or broken
- Squash — flatten, often softly
- Grind — reduce to powder by friction
- Crumble — break into small loose pieces
- Pulverise — reduce entirely to dust
Old French *croissir*, to gnash or crack, probably of Germanic origin. The infatuation sense is American, from the 1880s.
How old is crush meaning infatuation?
It appears in American English in the 1880s, far later than the physical sense.
What is a crush barrier?
A metal barrier at events that holds back a crowd and prevents dangerous pressure building against a wall.