crushing
6 synonyms and 0 antonyms for crushing, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Adjective — Overwhelming in force or effect.
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 crushing
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
Etymology
By surface analysis, crush + -ing.
Full origin of crushing →Frequently asked questions
What does “crushing” mean?
The word “crushing” means overwhelming in force or effect. In plain terms, describes something so overwhelming — a defeat, a disappointment, a weight — that it feels impossible to bear.
How do you pronounce “crushing”?
“Crushing” is pronounced KRUH-shihng (/ˈkɹʌ.ʃɪŋ/ in IPA).
How do you use “crushing” in a sentence?
Here is “crushing” used in a sentence: “The team suffered a crushing defeat in the final.”
What is another word for “crushing”?
Words with a similar meaning to “crushing” include gutting.
What part of speech is “crushing”?
“Crushing” is an adjective.
Is “crushing” a common word?
“Crushing” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “crushing” have?
“Crushing” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: overwhelming in force or effect.
What is the difference between crushing and devastating?
Both words describe something overwhelming in force or emotional effect, but crushing often emphasizes a sense of being weighed down or defeated, such as a crushing debt or a crushing loss. Devastating tends to suggest complete destruction or ruin, and the two are frequently used interchangeably for extremely upsetting news or events.
Is crushing used for physical force or emotions?
Crushing can describe both. It can refer to overwhelming physical force or effect, such as a crushing blow, and it can also describe something extremely disappointing or upsetting, such as crushing news.
What is an example of a 'crushing defeat'?
A crushing defeat is a loss that is overwhelming in its scale or impact, leaving little doubt about the winner. The word crushing here highlights just how decisive and complete the defeat was.
Is crushing a formal or informal word?
Crushing works in both formal and informal contexts. It appears in serious writing about defeats, debts, or disappointments, as well as in everyday speech to describe something extremely upsetting, like crushing news.