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.
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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
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gushes
plural
-
a sudden, copious outflow of a fluid.
-
the fluid emitted.
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effusive and often insincere language or behavior.
verb
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to pour out or cause to pour out suddenly and profusely, usually with a rushing sound
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to act or utter in an overeffusive, affected, or sentimental manner
noun
-
a sudden copious flow or emission, esp of liquid
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something that flows out or is emitted
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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
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gushsimple
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gushessimple
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have gushedperfect
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has gushedperfect
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am gushingprogressive
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are gushingprogressive
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is gushingprogressive
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have been gushingperfect progressive
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has been gushingperfect progressive
Past
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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
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Charlotte's Web
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The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
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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:
Lee Ratcliffe, head teacher at Calderstones School in Liverpool, says he felt a "gush of pride" at seeing the teenage friends triumph in the BBC series' finale this week.
From BBC ● May 24, 2026
That’s why, in the moments after Jack Hughes scored the winning goal in overtime, all the American players wanted to gush about was Hellebuyck.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 23, 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
I am sure that the springs gush with water, and creeks and rivers are flowing everywhere, as the landscape has turned the brightest green.
From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar
Instead, it leaks, gushes or wafts from landfills, oil and gas equipment and manure pits at dairy operations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
Next, it's a serum designed to make your skin glow, "Oh my god it's so glowy," she gushes.
From BBC ● Jun. 6, 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
Mom gushes as I hop to the kitchen table.
From "The Running Dream" by Wendelin Van Draanen
The world that Meg created, I find to be so vibrant and intoxicating and delicious,” Bareilles gushed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
“Floor-to-ceiling windows opened to the south and east, bathing the space in natural light,” Jacobs gushed.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 9, 2026
Fineman gushed about her “SNL” castmates in the goodbye missive, calling them the best in the biz.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 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
At school, Jenna gushed as she looked at Yuki’s picture on my phone.
From "Keep It Together, Keiko Carter" by Debbi Michiko Florence
Nepal's Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal said an earthquake likely triggered a landslide that in turn blocked a river, sending water gushing downstream after it eventually breached the obstruction.
From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 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
Trump, who built a career as a real estate developer, has frequently touted the project, gushing over the sounds of jackhammers and excavation trucks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2026
You may or may not find the shiny new features airlines are gushing about on your next flight.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 1, 2026
It comes gushing out, with words like spilled milk.
From "I Am the Messenger" by Markus Zusak
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.
