Synonyms of crushing

crushing 1 of 2

adjective

as in overwhelming

Related Words

• overwhelming
• painful
• unacceptable
• unbearable
• uncomfortable
• harsh
• insufferable
• intolerable
• intense
• horrid
• gruesome
• shocking
• terrible
• appalling
• horrifying
• horrible
• hard
• extreme
• nightmarish
• vile
• sickening
• dreadful
• excruciating
• harrowing
• acute
• horrendous
• tormenting
• revolting
• unendurable
• insupportable
• torturous
• repulsive
• disgusting
• offensive
• unsupportable
• wretched
• piercing
• obnoxious
• loathsome
• unspeakable
• repugnant
• heinous
• comfortless
• odious
• nauseating
• noxious
• distasteful

Dissimilar Words

• sustainable
• tolerable
• acceptable
• endurable
• sufferable
• adequate
• satisfactory
• livable
• supportable
• allowable
• reasonable
• admissible

crushing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of crush

1

as in mashing

to cause to become a pulpy mass

dark-colored grapes that will be crushed to make red wine

Synonyms & Similar Words

• mashing
• squeezing
• squashing
• pressing
• pulping
• pounding
• beating
• pulverizing
• powdering

2

as in quelling

to put a stop to (something) by the use of force

the government is doing everything to crush the latest guerrilla uprising

Synonyms & Similar Words

• quelling
• suppressing
• subduing
• repressing
• squashing
• silencing
• quashing
• destroying
• overcoming
• sitting on
• stifling
• extinguishing
• squelching
• cracking down (on)
• demolishing
• clamping down (on)
• slapping down
• throttling
• wrecking
• quenching
• obliterating
• decimating
• strangling
• putting down
• smothering
• smashing
• devastating
• annihilating
• snuffing (out)
• ruining
• dominating
• conquering
• wasting
• exterminating
• subjugating
• dousing
• vanquishing
• wiping out
• overwhelming
• overpowering
• putting out
• nuking
• desolating
• rubbing out

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• supporting
• assisting
• helping
• aiding
• backing
• stirring
• abetting
• provoking
• inciting
• promoting
• whipping (up)
• advancing
• encouraging
• cultivating
• propping up
• fostering
• furthering
• fomenting
• forwarding
• instigating
• nurturing
• nourishing

3

as in grinding

to reduce to fine particles

crushed the baby's medicine tablet and mixed it with applesauce

Synonyms & Similar Words

• grinding
• pounding
• beating
• disintegrating
• pulverizing
• crumbling
• milling
• powdering
• smashing
• comminuting
• atomizing
• braying
• mulling
• shattering
• grating
• fracturing
• breaking
• crunching
• fragmenting
• splintering
• busting
• dashing
• kibbling
• micronizing

4

as in devastating

to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress

the terrible news of her death simply crushed the entire family

Synonyms & Similar Words

• devastating
• overcoming
• overwhelming
• oppressing
• grinding (down)
• swamping
• overpowering
• rocking
• prostrating
• overmastering
• drowning
• disturbing
• flooring
• defeating
• shattering
• whelming
• sinking
• snowing under
• throwing
• upsetting
• refuting
• distressing
• staggering
• deluging
• demoralizing
• breaking
• unnerving
• confuting
• unmanning

5

as in squeezing

to apply external pressure on so as to force out the juice or contents of

after crushing the grapes, let the skins soak in the juice in order to extract some color

Synonyms & Similar Words

• squeezing
• mashing
• pressing
• expressing
• extracting
• reaming
• pulping
• extruding
• pureeing

6

as in cramming

to fit (people or things) into a tight space

the desperate refugees were crushed into the back of the truck

Synonyms & Similar Words

• squeezing
• cramming
• loading
• wedging
• jamming
• packing
• ramming
• sandwiching
• crowding
• stuffing
• filling
• shoehorning
• heaping
• jam-packing

7

as in hugging

to put one's arms around and press tightly

she tearfully crushed the child to her breast

Synonyms & Similar Words

• hugging
• clasping
• clinging
• cradling
• embracing
• grabbing
• grasping
• holding
• straining
• wrapping
• enfolding
• bear-hugging
• clamping
• enclasping
• gripping
• patting
• encircling
• enveloping
• locking
• folding
• snuggling
• stroking
• entwining
• bosoming
• embosoming
• cuddling
• twining
• petting
• nuzzling
• fondling
• nestling
• enwinding

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of crushing

Adjective

And that makes his collapse all the more crushing. — Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2026

Even the laughs and smiles that Joe and Kate Keller issue are fleeting, a respite from the journey toward a more crushing reality. — David John Chávez, Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2026

Verb

Miami responded with an 80-yard drive to retake their lead, 24-21, but UNC continued to fight on while crushing clock heading into the fourth quarter. — Scott Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 Nov. 2026

For working people, patient care coordinators and families who rely on this crossing for their daily commutes, this toll is a crushing financial burden rather than a solution to traffic. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 1 Nov. 2026

Dyed diesel relief or not, the agriculture industry is pleading for help to lower their crushing fuel costs. — Lizzie Kane, Sacbee.com, 30 Oct. 2026

Mosselli and Meier had agreed to what is called a merchant cash advance, commonly called MCAs, and their circumstances offer a cautionary — and in their case, crushing example of potential pitfalls of this financial tool. — Audrey McGlinchy, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026

That album, like the Dio Sabbath classics before it, was fine-tuned for metalhead appreciation, thick with crushing riffs and dramatic vocals. — Brad Sanders, Pitchfork, 27 Oct. 2026

Elsewhere, Leipzig bounced back from heavy defeats against Bayern Munich and Real Madrid by crushing Elversberg 4-0. — ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026

The result was a crushing defeat for the GOP, the loss of 48 seats in the House and several more in the Senate (where the Democrats already had more than 60 votes). — Ron Elving, NPR, 24 Oct. 2026

Of course, Carrie does plenty of damage on her own, including crushing Billy and Chris to death after flipping their car when Billy tries to run her down. — ArsTechnica, 21 Oct. 2026