pushy
Americanadjective
adjective
-
offensively assertive or forceful
-
aggressively or ruthlessly ambitious
Usage
What does pushy mean? Pushy is used to describe a person who is considered too aggressive, forceful, or assertive. People described as pushy are typically those who try to get others to do what they want or agree with them by demanding or just continuing to ask. In other words, a pushy person is someone who pushes other people to do things. A salesperson who follows you around and pressures you to buy can be called pushy. A friend who insists on getting their way can be called pushy. Pushy is always used in a negative way. Calling someone pushy implies that their behavior annoys or offends you due to being overly aggressive. The adverb form of pushy is pushily, as in The trainer very pushily insisted that I upgrade to the platinum gym membership. Much less commonly, pushy can be used in situations that involve literal pushing or shoving, as in If you stand in the front row at the concert, be careful—things tend to get a bit pushy. Example: My roommate is so pushy—she never even lets me decide where to order from when we get takeout.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of pushy
Explanation
Pushy people are aggressive and bold about getting what they want. A pushy used car salesperson will make you feel bullied into buying something even if you were just interested in admiring convertibles. If you're pushy, you're not afraid to let your ambition show, or to boss other people around. Pushy parents might argue with a teacher who gives their child a bad grade, and pushy newspaper reporters will invade your privacy to get a good story. This adjective was originally used, around 1891, to describe a cow. Just a few years later, it began to describe people as well.
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:
Being pushy works, even if it won’t win you popularity contests.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2026
Boundaries are extremely tricky to maintain with people who are insistent and/or bordering on pushy.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026
Not everyone minds having pushy parents - or at least not in hindsight.
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
In a documentary, “Storming Caesars Palace,” Duncan explains: “I came from no place, just slided in from out of nowhere. But when I came in, I came in pushy. And I’ve been pushy ever since.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026
“I don’t know. Sometimes I think she’s just too pushy, like when she dismissed her students’ Lei Feng Study Group.
From "Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution" by Ji-li Jiang
The people she’s meeting up with are probably the ones who have been pushier than you’re willing to be.
From Slate ● Jul. 3, 2021
Its pushier character means that it’s a sauce that’s best to take in small doses.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 20, 2019
Speaking of forcing things on the user, however, HTC’s News Republic integration is still on the U12 Plus and it’s now pushier than ever.
From The Verge ● Jun. 12, 2018
But by the early 1970's, with the rise of stiffer competition from emerging foreign economies and facing pushier federal regulators at home, the shared mission started to splinter.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 22, 2017
He already has “why,” but “why not” is pushier — like “why” with a fist on its hip.
From "Rules" by Cynthia Lord
In your case, I’m willing to bet you’ll be fine—the parents who are typically the pushiest also tend to be, uh, the least concerned about whether they’re overstepping.
From Slate ● Feb. 7, 2019
Playing the pushiest of roles, the endlessly enterprising matchmaker Dolly Levi, Ms. Midler never pushes for effect.
From New York Times ● Apr. 20, 2017
But because there were no lines, it generally rewarded only the pushiest children and paparazzi parents.
From New York Times ● Dec. 21, 2012
By Grady Hendrix It’s that time of year again, when the movies with the biggest advertising budgets and the pushiest publicists get a second infusion of attention from end-of-year best lists.
From Slate ● Dec. 13, 2011
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
