CRUSHING

crushing, devastating

(adjective) physically or spiritually devastating; often used in combination; “a crushing blow”; “a crushing rejection”; “bone-crushing”

suppression, crushing, quelling, stifling

(noun) forceful prevention; putting down by power or authority; “the suppression of heresy”; “the quelling of the rebellion”; “the stifling of all dissent”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Verb

crushing

present participle of crush

Adjective

crushing (comparative more crushing, superlative most crushing)

That crushes; overwhelming.

Devastatingly disheartening.

Synonyms

(disheartening)

• gutting (British)

• See also disheartening

Noun

crushing (countable and uncountable, plural crushings)

The action of the verb to crush.

A former method of execution by placing heavy weights on the victim.

(in the plural) crushed material

Anagrams

• ruchings

Source: Wiktionary

Crush"ing, a.

Definition: That crushes; overwhelming. "The blow must be quick and crushing." Macualay.

CRUSH

Crush (krsh), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Crushed (krsht); p. pr. & vb. n. Crushing.] Etym: [OE. cruschen, crousshen, Of. cruisir, croissir, fr. LL. cruscire, prob. of Ger. origin, from a derivative of the word seen in Goth. kruistan to gnash; akin to Sw. krysta to squeeze, Dan. kryste, Icel. kreysta.]

1. To press or bruise between two hard bodies; to squeeze, so as to destroy the natural shape or integrity of the parts, or to force together into a mass; as, to crush grapes. Ye shall not offer unto the Lord that which is bruised, or crushed, or broken, or cut. Lev. xxii. 24. The ass . . . thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall. Num. xxii. 25.

2. To reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding; to comminute; as, to crush quartz.

3. To overwhelm by pressure or weight; to beat or force down, as by an incumbent weight. To crush the pillars which the pile sustain. Dryden. Truth, crushed to earth, shall rise again. Bryant.

4. To oppress or burden grievously. Thou shalt be only oppressed and crushed alway. Deut. xxviii. 33.

5. To overcome completely; to subdue totally. Speedily overtaking and crushing the rebels. Sir. W. Scott. To crush a cup, to drink. [Obs.] -- To crush out. (a) To force out or separate by pressure, as juice from grapes. (b) To overcome or destroy completely; to suppress.

Crush (krsh), v. i.

Definition: To be or become broken down or in, or pressed into a smaller compass, by external weight or force; as, an eggshell crushes easily.

Crush, n.

1. A violent collision or compression; a crash; destruction; ruin. The wreck of matter, and the crush of worlds. Addison.

2. Violent pressure, as of a crowd; a crowd which produced uncomfortable pressure; as, a crush at a peception. Crush hat, a hat which collapses, and can be carried under the arm, and when expanded is held in shape by springs; hence, any hat not injured by compressing.

– Crush room, a large room in a theater, opera house, etc., where the audience may promenade or converse during the intermissions; a foyer. Politics leave very little time for the bow window at White's in the day, or for the crush room of the opera at night. Macualay.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition