crush

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Pronunciation: /krʌʃ/

A crush is an intense, often short-lived infatuation or romantic attraction toward someone, typically marked by idealized feelings.

Example Sentence(s):

“I’ve had a crush on her since the start of the school year.”
“He confessed his crush, and now everyone’s talking about it.”

Origin: While crush has been used for decades to describe infatuation, its casual, modern usage was popularized through social media in the 2010s.

Related Words:

  • infatuation
  • admiration
  • fling

Usage: Informal—commonly used in texts, social media, and everyday conversation.

Popularity Level: Very common among Gen Z.

First Known Use: Long-standing term, with renewed popularity in the 2010s.

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