crushing

1. 1
   adjective

   Strong or heavy enough to overpower, beat, or press down on something completely.

   Like a heavy rock that flattens everything under it.

   The army won a crushing victory over its enemies.

   A crushing weight pinned the climber against the rocks.

   Similaroverwhelming, heavy, decisive, oppressive, resounding

   Note
2. 2
   adjective

   So sad or disappointing that it takes away all your hope.

   Like a heavy weight pressing down on your heart.

   The news of his failure was crushing.

   She felt a crushing sadness after losing the contest.

   Similardevastating, shattering, heartbreaking, demoralizing

   Oppositeencouraging, heartening, uplifting

   Note
3. 3
   verb

   Present participle of crush. Use this form when the action is happening right now.

   The workers are crushing rocks into gravel.

   She is crushing garlic with the side of a knife.

   Note
4. 4
   noununcountable

   The act of pressing something so hard that it breaks or loses its shape.

   Like stepping on an empty can until it is flat.

   The crushing of the grapes begins right after the harvest.

   At the scrapyard, the crushing of old cars made a deafening noise.

   Similargrinding, pressing, compression

5. 5
   noununcountable

   An old way of killing a prisoner by piling heavy weights on the body.

   The jailers carried out the crushing in the prison yard at dawn.

   He was sentenced to crushing for refusing to enter a plea.

   Similarpressing

6. 6
   noununcountableplural

   Material that has been broken into small pieces by being pressed hard.

   Like gravel made from big rocks broken into small bits.

   The workers spread crushing across the muddy road.

   A large pile of crushing sat at the edge of the quarry.

   Note
7. 7
   noununcountable

   The pressing of sugarcane to squeeze out its sweet juice.

   Like squeezing an orange to get all the juice out.

   At the sugar mill, the crushing of the cane starts before dawn.

   Workers feed the cut stalks into the rollers for crushing.

   Similarmilling, pressing

   Note

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