0850 Crush it - English Idioms

Explanation

To perform exceptionally well; to succeed overwhelmingly or impressively at a task, performance, or goal.
Slay often carries stronger connotations of style, confidence, effortless mastery, and fierce competence, particularly popular in online and youth culture.

Origin

Crush it: Likely originates from sports or competitive contexts, meaning to defeat an opponent decisively. It was heavily popularised in the business world, especially startup culture, from the 2000s onward, meaning to achieve great success.
Slay: Originates in African American Vernacular English (AAVE), where it evolved from its literal meaning (to kill) to mean to impress greatly or to overwhelm with excellence. It gained mainstream popularity through drag culture (e.g., RuPaul's Drag Race), pop music (e.g., Beyoncé's Formation), and internet slang.

Alternatives

Slang/Informal:

Kill it
Ace it
Nail it
Rock it
Smash it (UK/Aus)
Boss it
Dominate
On fire
Knock it out of the park / Ball it up

Vulgar/Emphatic:

Fucking destroy it / Fucking kill it / Fucking nail it
Kick its ass / Kick ass
Tear it a new one / Tear shit up (Perform with wild energy/success)
Badass (As adjective describing performance/person)

Milder/Standard:

Do really well / Perform excellently
Succeed / Be successful
Excel
Shine / Be outstanding
Impress everyone / Make a great impression

Situational Appropriateness

Informal.
Crush it is common in motivational contexts, sports, casual business, and among friends.
Slay is more informal and strongly associated with internet culture, youth language, pop culture fandoms, fashion, and LGBTQ+ communities. While spreading, using slay in a formal business context would likely be inappropriate or misunderstood by older generations.

Misunderstanding Warnings

Slay could theoretically be misunderstood in its literal violent sense by someone completely unfamiliar with the slang, although context usually makes this highly unlikely. It might just sound strange or hyperbolic to some.
Crush it is less prone to misunderstanding but might sound overly aggressive or intense in some contexts if the tone isn't right.

Examples

Crush it:

She needs to crush this presentation to get the funding.
Go crush it at your job interview tomorrow!
We crushed our sales targets this quarter.

Slay:

Her performance absolutely slayed.
Your outfit slays! You look amazing.
He slayed that guitar solo.
(As encouragement) Go slay!

Dialogue

Coach: Big game today, team. Go out there and crush it!

Team Captain: We will, Coach! Let's do this!

Friend 1: Did you see Zendaya on the red carpet?

Friend 2: OMG yes! She completely slayed. That dress was everything!

Response Patterns

Enthusiasm/Thanks (if receiving encouragement): Thanks! I'll do my best!, Fingers crossed!
Agreement (if commenting on performance): Totally!, She really did!, I know, right?!
Modesty/Deflection: Haha, thanks, I tried!, Aw, you think so?

Common Follow-up Questions/Actions

Asking for details about the success: How did they crush it?, What was so good about the performance?
Offering further praise or congratulations.
Celebrating the achievement.
Using it as motivation before an event.

Conversation Starter

No.
Typically used as encouragement before an action or as commentary afterwards.

Intonation

Enthusiastic, impressed, or encouraging.
Strong stress on the main verb: CRUSH it! or You totally SLAYED!

Generation Differences

Crush it is common among Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z.
Slay is heavily associated with Millennials and especially Gen Z. Older generations are less likely to use or fully grasp its connotations, potentially finding it odd or overly dramatic.

Regional Variations

Both originated in American English (general and AAVE respectively) but have spread globally through media, internet, and business culture. Slay is particularly prevalent in online spaces worldwide.

Own it

🎲 Boss move

[0850] Crush it