What is crush? Pronunciation and usage in English

crush means . Learn how to pronounce and use crush through vivid examples and easy-to-understand exercises.

Definition & pronunciation of crush

crushverb

/krʌʃ/
Definition & pronunciation of crush

Okay, let's break down how to pronounce "crush" in English. There are a couple of common pronunciations, and they both sound pretty good!

1. The Most Common Pronunciation (American English):

  • ˈkrʊʃ (This is the one you'll hear most often in the US)
    • ˈ (This is a stressed syllable mark – it indicates that this syllable is emphasized)
    • kr - Like the "kr" in "crab"
    • ʊ - A short "uh" sound, like in "cup" or “but”. Round your lips slightly.
    • ʃ - This is the tricky part! This is the "sh" sound, but a bit softer and more rounded. It's like you're trying to say "sh" while keeping your lips slightly rounded. It's almost like a "s" sound that's a little more open.

2. The British English Pronunciation:

  • krʌʃ
    • kr - Same as above ("crab")
    • ʌ - A longer, more open "uh" sound than in the American pronunciation. Think of it as a more relaxed, drawn-out "uh".
    • ʃ - Still the "sh" sound, but again, a bit softer than a standard "sh."

Here's a helpful tip:

Imagine you're saying “shush” very softly, but then adding a little bit of a “uh” sound in the middle.

Resources for Hearing the Pronunciation:

To help me tailor my advice even further, could you tell me:

  • Where are you from (approximately – US, UK, Australia, etc.)? This will help me provide the most relevant pronunciation.

Usage and examples with the word crush in English

Let's break down how to use the word "crush" – it's a surprisingly versatile word with several different meanings! Here's a breakdown, categorized for clarity:

1. As a Verb – Intense Romantic Attraction

  • Definition: This is the most common usage. It means to have a very strong, often overwhelming, feeling of love or attraction for someone.
  • Examples:
    • "I have a huge crush on him." (I really like him a lot, intensely.)
    • "She admitted she’d had a crush on the movie star when she was younger." (She really liked him when she was young.)
    • "Don't worry about it, it's just a silly crush." (It's a fleeting, harmless attraction.)
  • Key Words/Phrases: have a crush on, fall for, be infatuated with

2. As a Verb – To Violently Squash or Flatten

  • Definition: This meaning refers to physically forcing something flat or to destroy something completely.
  • Examples:
    • "He crushed the grapes to make juice." (He pressed them to release the juice.)
    • "The car crushed a small bug." (The car flattened the bug.)
    • "The giant foot crushed the Lego castle." (The foot destroyed the castle.)
  • Key Words/Phrases: squash, flatten, pulverize

3. As a Verb – To Suppress or Overcome Something (Strong Emotion)

  • Definition: This is a less common usage, but it means to forcefully suppress or overcome a strong feeling, desire, or opinion.
  • Examples:
    • “He tried to crush his anger after the argument.” (He struggled to get rid of his anger.)
    • "She needed to crush her dreams of being a dancer." (She had to give up her dream.)
  • Often used with “crush down”: “He crushed down his resentment.”

4. As a Noun – A Pile of Crushed Material

  • Definition: This refers to a heap or mass of crushed things, especially grapes or vegetables.
  • Examples:
    • "The winemaker collected the crush for fermentation." (The grapes that were crushed.)
    • "The vegetable crush was used to make a flavorful puree.”

Here’s a table summarizing the different meanings:

Part of Speech Meaning Example
Verb Romantic attraction “I have a crush on my coworker.”
Verb To flatten/destroy “He crushed the soda can.”
Verb To suppress/overcome “She crushed her fear.”
Noun A pile of crushed material “The wine press produced a crush.”

Tips for Choosing the Right Meaning:

  • Context is Key: Pay close attention to the surrounding words to determine the correct meaning.
  • Common Usage: The "romantic crush" meaning is by far the most common.
  • Figurative vs. Literal: Be aware that "crush" is often used figuratively (meaning a feeling) rather than literally (meaning smashing something).

Resources for More Information:

Would you like me to:

  • Give you more examples of how to use "crush" in a particular context?
  • Help you practice using the word in a sentence?

Synonyms for the word crush

Idioms of the word crush

crush it
(informal)to do something very well or be very successful
  • She got up on stage and absolutely crushed it—the audience was going wild!
  • His latest film is crushing it at the box office.

Practice with vocabulary crush

Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks

  1. The startup's innovative product managed to ______ the competition in the market, securing a dominant position.
  2. During the negotiation, the CEO's refusal to compromise seemed to ______ the morale of the opposing team.
  3. The factory conveyor belt is designed to ______ the raw materials into fine powder before processing.
  4. Despite initial setbacks, the team continued to ______ forward, showing remarkable resilience.

Exercise 2: Choose the correct answer

  1. The market downturn threatened to ______ many small businesses, leading to widespread closures. a) expand b) invigorate c) ruin d) crush

  2. After the scandal, the former CEO faced a ______ defeat in the shareholder vote, losing all credibility. a) minor b) crushing c) slight d) gentle

  3. The industrial machine is specifically engineered to ______ large aggregates into usable gravel for construction. a) assemble b) pulverize c) smooth d) expand e) crush

  4. The financial analyst was tasked with the unenviable job of ______ the numbers for the quarterly report, a process that required meticulous attention. a) manipulating b) estimating c) crunching d) embellishing

  5. New stringent regulations aim to ______ illegal trade practices in the digital marketplace, ensuring fair competition. a) foster b) condone c) suppress d) encourage

Exercise 3: Rewrite the sentences

  1. Original: The strong opposition completely defeated the proposed reform. Rewrite using "crush" or a related word form:

  2. Original: The unexpected news of the merger deeply disappointed the employees. Rewrite using "crush" or a related word form:

  3. Original: The prolonged negotiations eventually wore down the resilience of the smaller firm. Rewrite not using "crush" but a suitable replacement word:

Answer:

Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks

  1. crush
  2. crush
  3. grind
  4. press

Exercise 2: Choose the correct answer

  1. c) ruin, d) crush
  2. b) crushing
  3. b) pulverize, e) crush
  4. c) crunching
  5. c) suppress

Exercise 3: Rewrite the sentences

  1. The strong opposition managed to crush the proposed reform. (Alternative: The strong opposition delivered a crushing blow to the proposed reform.)
  2. The unexpected news of the merger deeply crushed the employees' spirits.
  3. The prolonged negotiations eventually eroded the resilience of the smaller firm.

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