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

The Tigers bounced back from an overtime loss to Kentucky by crushing Mississippi State (which was missing quarterback Kamario Taylor and running back Fluff Bothwell). — Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026

On the other side, that's a crushing loss for a Nittany Lions team that certainly didn't need any more games going in the loss column. — Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026

The film is now the highest-opening non-musical documentary in ten years, crushing Melania’s record from earlier this year. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 18 Oct. 2026

Milwaukee completed a four-game sweep of the Dodgers with a crushing 6-4 win Thursday at Dodger Stadium. — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026

When threats don’t speed wins In the pursuit of surrender, or at least a ceasefire, the promise of crushing defeat has rarely been enticing. — Anna Mulrine Grobe, Christian Science Monitor, 16 Oct. 2026

In 2024, the company promoted its thin new iPad Pro by crushing musical instruments, cameras, and other creative tools beneath a hydraulic press, prompting a backlash and an apology. — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2026

But the comedian is, of course, looking for ways to make the most out of being a pawn in the crushing game of corporate consolidation. — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 12 Oct. 2026

Occasional moments of real, spontaneous joy emerge, and others reveal the crushing emptiness of lives going nowhere, but the script doesn’t lean too hard in either direction. — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2026