crashing
2 synonyms and 0 antonyms for crashing, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Adjective — Extreme or overwhelming, often used to intensify a negative quality.
Synonyms
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
How to use crashing
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
Frequently asked questions
What does “crashing” mean?
The word “crashing” means extreme or overwhelming, often used to intensify a negative quality. In plain terms, either the loud sound of a collision, or (as an intensifying adjective) extreme/overwhelming.
How do you pronounce “crashing”?
“Crashing” is pronounced KRA-shihng (/ˈkɹæʃɪŋ/ in IPA).
How do you use “crashing” in a sentence?
Here is “crashing” used in a sentence: “The evening ended in a crashing bore of a speech.”
What part of speech is “crashing”?
Depending on how it is used, “crashing” can be an adjective and a noun.
Is “crashing” a common word?
“Crashing” is a fairly common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “crashing” have?
“Crashing” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: extreme or overwhelming, often used to intensify a negative quality.
What is the difference between crashing as an adjective and as a noun?
As an adjective, crashing intensifies a negative quality, as in "a crashing bore," meaning extreme or overwhelming. As a noun, crashing describes the actual loud sound made by something colliding or falling violently, such as the crashing of waves against rocks.
Why does crashing intensify negative words like bore or failure?
Crashing is used before negative nouns to emphasize how overwhelming or complete the quality is, functioning much like "utter" or "total." This intensifying use likely grew out of the noun's association with sudden, forceful, and unmistakable impact.
Is crashing bore a formal or informal expression?
"Crashing bore" is a somewhat dated, informal British expression used to describe an extremely tedious person, and it is more common in conversational or literary writing than in formal or technical English.