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What does crush mean?

Say itKRUSH/krʌʃ/noun (also a verb: crush on)

A strong romantic feeling for someone that usually does not last long, or the person you have that feeling for.

Written by the Second Language TeamWritten

A crush is a strong romantic feeling for someone that usually does not last long. Often it is someone you are not dating, who may not even know how you feel. The word can also mean the person: “He’s my crush.” You will see it in texts, on social media, in songs, and in TV shows about school.

Say it as one short word that rhymes with “brush”: KRUSH. It is informal but never rude. Teenagers use it most. Adults use it too, often as a joke or about famous people. Merriam-Webster marks the verb form, “crush on,” as informal [1].

Word stats

How casual
Informal, but everyone knows it. Say it to anyone, just not in a formal essay.
OK at work
The word is fine at work, but the topic is personal, so keep it to “my celebrity crush” over lunch.
Grandma-safe
Completely safe. Your aunt will probably ask who your crush is, loudly, at dinner.
Cringe risk
Low. It sounds most natural from teens, but adults use it too, often with a smile.
Freshness
A few fewer searches than last year, but it has been around since the 1880s and is not leaving.

Spotted in the wild

Group chat · Tuesday, 9:15 pm
  1. Jessok who is your crush, be honest
  2. Youno comment 🙈
  3. Samit’s the guy from chem class. you literally changed seats
  4. YouI needed a better view of the board!!

What it means here: Your friends think you secretly like someone from your class.

Comments under a movie trailer
  1. mina.readsmy childhood crush is in this movie?? I’m 12 again
  2. dan_ksame, I had his poster on my wall

What it means here: Mina liked this actor a lot as a child: a famous-person crush, nothing serious.

Text with Mom
  1. Momwho was that boy who walked you home? 👀
  2. YouMOM. he’s just a friend
  3. Mommm hm. you said that about your middle school crush too

What it means here: Mom is teasing you: she thinks you like him romantically, like someone you liked when you were younger.

How to use it

  • have a crush on someoneI’ve had a crush on her since the first day of class.
  • someone’s crush (the person)He finally talked to his crush at the party.
  • be crushing on someoneShe’s been crushing on him all semester.
  • a big / huge crushEveryone knew about her huge crush on him, except him.
  • celebrity / secret / childhood crushMy celebrity crush is the actor from that cooking show.

Don’t say it like this

  • Sounds offI have a crush with him.

    Say thisI have a crush on him.

    Always use “on”. You have a crush on a person, not with them.

  • Sounds offI crush him.

    Say thisI have a crush on him. / I’m crushing on him.

    Without “on”, crush means to squash or to beat someone. That is not the message you want to send.

  • Sounds offI have a crash on her.

    Say thisI have a crush on her.

    “Crash” (KRASH) is a car accident. “Crush” has the short “uh” sound, like “brush” or “much”.

  • Sounds offYou crushed on the exam!

    Say thisYou crushed the exam! / You crushed it!

    “Crush on” is about romance. To say someone did very well, use “crush it” or “crush” plus the thing, with no “on”.

crush or not?

Is each of these crush? Pick an answer to find out.

  1. You smile every time a classmate texts you, and you practice what to say before you see them.

  2. You have been married for 20 years and love your partner deeply.

  3. You think a famous singer is amazing, and your heart jumps every time they post.

  4. Your soccer team won 6–0, and your coach says, “We crushed them!”

The crush family

  • puppy loveSweet, innocent love between young people, often a first love.A crush that still has its school backpack on.
  • infatuationThe formal word for a strong attraction to someone that usually does not last.What a crush is called when it puts on a suit.
  • mashOld American slang from the 1800s for a strong attraction, or the person you liked.Crush may have grown out of it, but nobody knows for sure. Either way, nobody says it now.

Where it came from

  1. 1884Crush has meant to smash or break since the 1300s, and it comes from Old French. In 1884 it first appears in American slang for a person someone is in love with [2]. One early example is a journal by Isabella Maud Rittenhouse: “Wintie is weeping because her crush is gone” [3].
  2. 1890sWriters start to use crush for the feeling itself, not only for the person who causes it [3].
  3. 1903The phrase “to have a crush on” someone is on record [2].
  4. TodayCrush is the everyday word for a first, secret, or celebrity love. Nobody knows for sure why a word for smashing became a word for liking someone.

Crush on, crush it, or crushed?

The same word has several other meanings, and only some of them are about romance. Small words like on and it change everything.

PhraseMeaningExample
have a crush on someonelike someone romanticallyI have a crush on Ana.
crush on someonethe same, but more casualHe’s crushing on Ana.
crush itdo extremely wellYou crushed it in the interview!
be crushedfeel very sad or disappointedI was crushed when she said no.
crush somethingpress it hard until it breaksCrush the garlic.
crush someone (sports, games)beat them easilyWe crushed them 5–0.
a crush (of people)a tightly packed crowdThere was a crush at the door.

With on, it is about feelings. Without on, something is getting squashed, someone is losing a game, or someone did a great job. You can have a crush on someone, ask them out, and then be crushed. That is one word, two very different nights.

Sources

  1. Crush Definition & MeaningMerriam-Webster
  2. Crush - Etymology, Origin & MeaningOnline Etymology Dictionary (Etymonline)
  3. Why Do We Call It a "Crush"?Mental Floss

More slang to decode

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