Definition and Meaning of “Crush”
Word: crush
Pronunciation: /krʌʃ/
Part of Speech: Noun, verb
- As a noun: A brief but intense infatuation or romantic feeling for someone.
- As a verb: To harbor such feelings (to crush on someone) or to compress physically.
Simple Explanation
A crush is when you really like someone—often secretly—and feel excited or nervous around them.
Grammatical Formation
- Noun: crush (countable)
- “She has a crush on her classmate.”
- Verb (informal): crush (intransitive, slang)
- “He’s crushing on his coworker.”
Synonyms
infatuation, puppy love, fancy, school‑girl crush, admiration, ardor
Antonyms
indifference, dislike, loathing, aversion
Related Terms
infatuation, attraction, crush on, puppy love, romantic interest, flirtation
Common Collocations
- have a crush on
- secret crush
- childhood crush
- school‑boy/girl crush
- celebrity crush
- unrequited crush
Idiomatic Usage & Expressions
- “Crush on someone” – to be infatuated with them.
- “Nurse a crush” – to quietly hold onto romantic feelings.
- “Get over a crush” – to move past those feelings.
- “Crush it” (slang, unrelated) – to perform very well.
Sample Sentences
- Jamie had a crush on her lab partner all semester.
- He tried to get over his crush by spending time with friends.
- A celebrity crush is normal, but remember they’re just people.
- They shared a childhood crush on the same actor.
- She’s crushing on her neighbor but hasn’t told them yet.
Relationship to Sexuality
A crush often involves emotional and sometimes physical attraction, a mild form of sexual or romantic interest. While usually light and short‑lived, crush‑like feelings can be part of learning about one’s sexual and romantic orientation.
Sexopedia.co is an educational glossary of sexual and gender-related terms—helping you improve your English while deepening your understanding of identity, sexuality, and self-expression.