What does "squash" mean?
A sport played in a walled court with a soft rubber ball and bats like tennis racquets.
Squash
/skwɔʃ/ intj, name, noun, verb, slang
intj, name, noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A sport played in a walled court with a soft rubber ball and bats like tennis racquets.
- Grammar: squash is listed as intj, name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: abrade, amalgamate, annihilate, answer.
- Useful contrasts: expand, inflate, keep separate commits.
- Usage evidence: I'd like to play a game of squash.
How to use "squash"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "squash" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "squash" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "squash" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "squash" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "squash" is acting as intj, name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abrade" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "squash", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A sport played in a walled court with a soft rubber ball and bats like tennis racquets. uncountable
"She plays squash every Saturday."
- 2 A plant and its fruit of any of a few species of the genus Cucurbita, or gourd kind.; Cucurbita maxima, including hubbard squash, great winter squash, buttercup squash, and some varieties of pumpkins. countable, uncountable
- 3 Muskrat. countable, obsolete
"The squash is a four-footed beast, bigger than a cat."
- 4 a game played in an enclosed court by two or four players who strike the ball with long-handled rackets wordnet
- 5 A non-alcoholic drink made from a fruit-based concentrate diluted with water or milk. countable, uncountable
"Sure. I pour hot squash all over myself and we all have a good chuckle. Everyone except Muggins here."
Show 14 more definitions
- 6 A plant and its fruit of any of a few species of the genus Cucurbita, or gourd kind.; Cucurbita argyrosperma (syn. Cucurbita mixta), cushaw squash. countable, uncountable
- 7 edible fruit of a squash plant; eaten as a vegetable wordnet
- 8 A place or a situation where people have limited space to move. countable, uncountable
"It's a bit of a squash in this small room."
- 9 A plant and its fruit of any of a few species of the genus Cucurbita, or gourd kind.; Cucurbita moschata, butternut squash, Barbary squash, China squash. countable, uncountable
- 10 any of numerous annual trailing plants of the genus Cucurbita grown for their fleshy edible fruits wordnet
- 11 A preparation made by placing material on a slide (flat, rectangular piece of glass), covering it and applying pressure. countable, uncountable
- 12 A plant and its fruit of any of a few species of the genus Cucurbita, or gourd kind.; Cucurbita pepo, most pumpkins, acorn squash, summer squash, zucchini. countable, uncountable
- 13 Something soft and easily crushed; especially, an unripe pod of peas. countable, obsolete
- 14 Any other similar-looking plant of other genera. countable, uncountable
- 15 Something unripe or soft. countable, derogatory, obsolete
- 16 Any other similar-looking plant of other genera.; Lagenaria siceraria (syn. Cucurbita verrucosa), calabash, long-neck squash. countable, uncountable
- 17 A sudden fall of a heavy, soft body; also, a shock of soft bodies. countable, obsolete
- 18 The edible or decorative fruit of these plants, or this fruit prepared as a dish. countable, uncountable
"We ate squash and green beans."
- 19 An extremely one-sided, usually short, match. countable, slang, uncountable
"It was one of the most shocking WWE title matches ever witnessed, and effectively a 20-minute squash match as Brock Lesnar "conquered" his opponent."
Verb
- 1 To beat or press into pulp or a flat mass; to crush. transitive
- 2 to compress with violence, out of natural shape or condition wordnet
- 3 To compress or restrict (oneself) into a small space; to squeeze. intransitive, transitive
"Somehow, she squashed all her books into her backpack, which was now too heavy to carry."
- 4 To suppress; to force into submission. transitive
"A somewhat popular myth about the Whiskey Rebellion is that Washington personally led the troops into western Pennsylvania and squashed the rebellion."
Intj
- 1 The sound of something relatively heavy splashing or squelching into water. obsolete
"[…] rain, too, had lately fallen, and had decidedly not evaporated, since, at every step, I went squash! squash! up to the tops of my boots, and many times very extent, stretching to the eastward, […]"
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"I'd like to play a game of squash."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "squash"?
Common synonyms include: abrade, amalgamate, annihilate, answer, answer conclusively, argue down.
How do you use "squash" in a sentence?
I'd like to play a game of squash.
How do you pronounce "squash"?
Pronounced /skwɔʃ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English squachen, squatchen, from Old French esquacher, escachier, from Vulgar Latin *excoāctiāre, from Latin ex + coāctāre. Probably influenced by Middle English quashen, quassen, from Old French esquasser, escasser (“to crush, shatter, destroy, break”), from Vulgar Latin *exquassare, from Latin ex- + quassare (“to shatter”) (see quash).
Etymology 2
Shortening of Narragansett askutasquash (“[a vegetable] eaten green (or raw)”), from askut (“green, raw”) + asquash (“eaten”).
Etymology 3
Clipping of musquash.