crush

A strong romantic interest in someone, often someone you do not know well.

• I have a crush on Sam.
• She had a secret crush on her classmate.
• Did you ever have a crush on a teacher?

How to use it: a crush on someone (He has a crush on his neighbour.)

Similar words: infatuation

Common phrases: have a crush, crush on someone

Someone you have strong romantic feelings for, often without having a relationship with them.

• My crush smiled at me.
• Her first crush was a boy at school.
• He finally spoke to his celebrity crush.

Common phrases: my first crush, celebrity crush

A large group of people pressed so closely together that moving is difficult.

• We could barely move in the crush.
• A crush of passengers filled the station entrance.
• She lost her bag in the crush outside.

Similar words: crowd, throng

Common phrases: crush of people, in the crush

To damage or destroy something by pressing it very hard.

• Do not crush the box.
• A falling tree crushed their car.
• The empty cans were crushed flat.

Similar words: squash, flatten

Common phrases: crush a can, crush something flat

To press something very hard, changing its shape or squeezing liquid out.

• Crush the grapes to get their juice.
• She crushed the garlic with a knife.
• The machine crushes fruit between two heavy rollers.

Similar words: squeeze, squash

Common phrases: crush grapes, crush garlic

To break something into very small pieces by pressing, hitting, or grinding it.

• Crush the nuts before adding them.
• He crushed the ice for our drinks.
• These stones can be crushed into powder.

How to use it: crush something into something (Crush the seeds into a fine powder.)

Similar words: grind, pulverize

Common phrases: crush nuts, crush into powder