gush
Americanverb (used without object)
-
gushes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
gushed,
past participle, past
-
gushing
present participle
-
to flow out or issue suddenly, copiously, or forcibly, as a fluid from confinement.
Water gushed from the broken pipe.
-
to express oneself extravagantly or emotionally; talk effusively.
She gushed with pride over her new grandchild.
-
to have a sudden, copious flow, as of blood or tears.
verb (used with object)
-
gushes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
gushed,
past participle, past
-
gushing
present participle
noun
-
gushes
plural
-
a sudden, copious outflow of a fluid.
-
the fluid emitted.
-
effusive and often insincere language or behavior.
verb
-
to pour out or cause to pour out suddenly and profusely, usually with a rushing sound
-
to act or utter in an overeffusive, affected, or sentimental manner
noun
-
a sudden copious flow or emission, esp of liquid
-
something that flows out or is emitted
-
an extravagant and insincere expression of admiration, sentiment, etc
Usage
What does gush mean? To gush is to flow forcefully and rapidly. Water gushes out of a firehose. Gush can also be used as a noun referring to such a flow. Gush also commonly means to talk about a particular thing in an emotional, enthusiastic, unreserved way. When used this way, it is often phrased as gush about or gush over. Example: I’m sorry to keep gushing about my baby cousin, but she’s just so adorable!
Synonym Usage
See flow.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
gushsimple
-
gushessimple
-
have gushedperfect
-
has gushedperfect
-
am gushingprogressive
-
are gushingprogressive
-
is gushingprogressive
-
have been gushingperfect progressive
-
has been gushingperfect progressive
Past
-
gushedsimple
-
had gushedperfect
-
was gushingprogressive
-
were gushingprogressive
-
had been gushingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of gush
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; probably of expressive origin; see gust 1, rush 1
Explanation
On hot summer days, city kids will sometimes open a fire hydrant and let the water gush into the street. Things that gush come streaming out. Water can gush out of a hose or a drinking fountain, and you can also call the jet of water itself a gush. A more figurative way to gush is to talk enthusiastically about something — you might gush when you're describing your favorite teacher. Gush comes from the twelfth century English word gosshien, originally "make noises in the stomach," and later "pour out." Gush is an onomatopoeic word — it sounds like what it means.
Vocabulary lists containing gush
Instead of "Said": Words for Upbeat Banter
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Charlotte's Web
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
In the face of slowing iPhone sales, Cook pushed online services such as music and video streaming, which contributed to the gush of cash generated from Apple’s app store.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 21, 2026
But when two of her Calvin Klein coworkers gush, “You’re going to be the American people’s princess!” my inner narrator countered, “No. Not so much.”
From Salon ● Feb. 12, 2026
The agent took the opportunity to gush about ICE’s new state-of-the-art semi-automatic tasers and brand-new pepper-ball guns.
From Slate ● Jan. 13, 2026
They gush about the time they’ve spent together in fabric stores and flooring supply shops as if they were dimly lighted restaurants primed for date night.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 22, 2025
I’m so relieved to be excused from the project that I gush, “No, this is great! You have no idea how much this helps, Mr. Vedder!”
From "The Running Dream" by Wendelin Van Draanen
On that last track, recorded a dozen years ago, Mr. Lloyd, playing alto sax, seems like a fountain, distilling fragments of songs and scales into a narrative that spills forth in graceful gushes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
América Peraza, a florist in Mexico City, gushes over García Harfuch, describing him as handsome, intelligent and elegant.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 12, 2026
“I’ve basically modeled my whole look and style after you,” Carpenter gushes when she and Piggy finally meet in the recent special.
From Salon ● Feb. 28, 2026
This constant flow comes as groundwater seeps and gushes from springs that run through the heart of the mountain.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 27, 2025
And she could remember weeping into her mattress—great gushes of tears.
From "The Girl Who Drank the Moon" by Kelly Barnhill
Fineman gushed about her “SNL” castmates in the goodbye missive, calling them the best in the biz.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 2026
Visiting international fans have rhapsodized about our hospitality and gushed over culinary miracles like ranch dressing and Philly cheesesteak while trekking to Costco like it is our version of the pyramids.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
“Americans are falling in love with Vietnam and its dual communist–capitalist system of government and economics,” some guy in Hanoi could have said after I gushed to him about how much fun I was having.
From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2026
Ryan previously gushed about her love for renovation projects while speaking with Architectural Digest.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 23, 2026
Before, we gushed over little frilly pink dresses and those cute little knit hats with the pom-poms on top.
From "P.S. I Miss You" by Jen Petro-Roy
Although specific details about both the Zvernec and Sazan plans remain unclear, gushing descriptions from Ivanka Trump and renderings of the proposed resort posted by Kushner have been circulating for years.
From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026
But Baker couldn’t help gushing about Musk for long, pointing out that after the compute deals with Google and Anthropic, SpaceX went from 100 times trailing revenue to 39.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 12, 2026
Hadel and Cusack concluded their message by gushing about their crew and pushing for others to hire them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 26, 2026
In this nation powered by oil wealth, there is also a pipeline of talent that keeps gushing Olympians.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 17, 2026
“Eighty percent is not for little lizards,” Ms. Pfister said, gushing the disdain again.
From "Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody" by Patrick Ness
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
