adjective
Common
crashing
KRA-shihng
Crashing (adjective) means Extreme or overwhelming, often used to intensify a negative quality. Example: “The evening ended in a crashing bore of a speech.”
adjective
1
Extreme or overwhelming, often used to intensify a negative quality.
"The evening ended in a crashing bore of a speech."
"Missing the train was a crashing disappointment after weeks of planning."
"The lecture was a crashing waste of an entire afternoon."
noun
1
The loud sound made by something colliding or falling violently.
"The crashing of waves against the rocks kept her awake."
"The crashing of thunder made the puppy hide under the bed."
"We heard a loud crashing from the kitchen and rushed in."
How to use crashing
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither the loud sound of a collision, or (as an intensifying adjective) extreme/overwhelming.
Common pairings
crashing waves
crashing bore
crashing sound
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Word forms
- Plural
- crashings
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The evening ended in a _____ bore of a speech.
Related words
Rhymes for crashing
hashing
dashing
washing
lashing
bashing
smashing
flashing
clashing
trashing
slashing
thrashing
splashing
See all rhymes for crashing →
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.
