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I've heard in many movies that one character says "I have a crush on him/her".

I'm not sure what it means. Somewhere, i read that it means that person A likes person B but A cannot tell B. Somewhere else, it was written that it means person A is with someone he/she shouldn't be. ( Like an older person ). One of my friends told me that it means that person A doesn't love person B but somehow A likes B. I'm confused about what it means.

My questions are :

  1. What does it exactly mean "to have a crush on somebody"?
  2. Is it a bad thing? Should someone be ashamed because he/she has a crush on somebody?
  3. Is it a rude thing to say?
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    Have you checked a dictionary? "crush" as a noun should have a definition related to romance.
    – John Feltz
    Dec 20, 2016 at 20:13
  • @JohnFeltz i know its related ... i want the exact meaning sir :)
    – Arman Malekzadeh
    Dec 20, 2016 at 20:24
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    @Arman: The dictionary shows the exact meaning. I think you're looking for the nuances, which the dictionary doesn't always provide.
    – J.R. ♦
    Dec 20, 2016 at 22:09

2 Answers 2

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"To have a crush (on someone)" is a light-hearted and slightly juvenile way to express a strong affection for someone. It is mostly used to talk about young people's feelings, and does not normally describe adult emotions.

If applied to adults it can be an insult to imply the person is or acts immature. This depends greatly on context, however, as it can also be used as a compliment to imply someone is acting or looking youthful.

A "crush" doesn't have to be on a peer or someone of similar age. A young person can have a crush on an older (even a much older) celebrity or any other person. Also, a crush can often be one-sided, implying that the affection isn't returned by the other person (referred to as "unrequited love").

By using "crush" instead of some similar term, it implies that the feeling isn't serious and is likely to be temporary. Of course many young people will disagree with this, but that's the nature of youthful crushes. No one should be ashamed of a crush, but they might be deeply embarrassed if talked about in front of them.

How young is "young" can vary widely by who is talking. At my age, I might use "crush" for anyone under 30, but I'm a grumpy old curmudgeon.

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It is neither rude nor bad to have a

crush

on someone, it simply means one has an "attraction and (possibly) affection" for someone.
It is usually used to describe this attraction in a playful way

He has a crush on his third grade teacher.
She has a crush on her personal trainer.
The groupies have a crush on the lead singer.

Terms which may be used as a synonyms are "infatuation" or "puppy love".

On the scale of attraction

obsession (most intense)
undying love
smitten
infatuation
crush
like (least intense)

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