pushing

American  

[poosh-ing] / ˈpʊʃ ɪŋ /

adjective

1. that pushes.

2. enterprising; energetic.

   Synonyms:

   ambitious

3. tactlessly or officiously aggressive; forward; intrusive.

   Synonyms:

   offensive

---

pushing British  

/ ˈpʊʃɪŋ /

adjective

1. enterprising, resourceful, or aggressively ambitious

2. impertinently self-assertive

---

adverb

1. almost or nearly (a certain age, speed, etc)

   pushing fifty

Other Word Forms

• pushingly
  adverb
• pushingness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of pushing

First recorded in 1520–30; push + -ing ²

Example Sentences

Pushing the system to the brink isn’t a good idea.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026

Pushing back, Polanski said: "This came out again last week on the same day the Peter Mandelson files were released, the same week there was a war in Iran."

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026

Pushing 50, I’m almost closer to Maude’s age than I am to Harold’s and while I’m still fascinated with death, it’s taken an optimistic turn, in no small credit to the examples their characters set.

From Salon • Feb. 17, 2026

Pushing products mid-conversation inside a chatbot could hurt users’ trust in AI as a helpful assistant, he said.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 11, 2026

Pushing up had made her arm throb, and she felt it carefully with her other hand.

From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack