rush

1
[ ruhsh ]
See synonyms for rush on Thesaurus.com
verb (used without object)

  1. to move, act, or progress with speed, impetuosity, or violence.

  2. to dash, especially to dash forward for an attack or onslaught.

  1. to appear, go, pass, etc., rapidly or suddenly: The blood rushed to his face.

  2. Football. to carry the ball on a running play or plays.

verb (used with object)

  1. to perform, accomplish, or finish with speed, impetuosity, or violence: They rushed the work to make the deadline.

  2. to carry or convey with haste: to rush an injured person to the hospital.

  1. to cause to move, act, or progress quickly; hurry: He rushed his roommate to get to the party on time.

  2. to send, push, force, impel, etc., with unusual speed or haste: to rush a bill through Congress.

  3. to attack suddenly and violently; charge.

  4. to overcome or capture (a person, place, etc.).

  5. Informal. to heap attentions on; court intensively; woo: to rush an attractive newcomer.

  6. to entertain (a prospective fraternity or sorority member) before making bids for membership.

  7. Football.

    • to carry (the ball) forward across the line of scrimmage.

    • to carry the ball (a distance) forward from the line of scrimmage: The home team rushed 145 yards.

    • (of a defensive team member) to attempt to force a way quickly into the backfield in pursuit of (the back in possession of the ball).

noun

  1. the act of rushing; a rapid, impetuous, or violent onward movement.

  2. a hostile attack.

  1. an eager rushing of numbers of persons to some region that is being occupied or exploited, especially because of a new mine: the gold rush to California.

  2. a sudden appearance or surge: Seeing the old photo set off a rush of tears.You’ll experience a massive rush of adrenaline as you find yourself in free fall.

  3. hurried activity; busy haste: the rush of city life.

  4. a hurried state, as from pressure of affairs: to be in a rush.

  5. press of work, business, traffic, etc., requiring extraordinary effort or haste.

  6. Football.

    • an attempt to carry or instance of carrying the ball across the line of scrimmage.

    • an act or instance of rushing the offensive back in possession of the ball.

  7. a scrimmage held as a form of sport between classes or bodies of students in colleges.

  8. rushes, Movies. daily (def. 4).

  9. Also called flash .Slang. the initial, intensely pleasurable or exhilarated feeling experienced upon taking a narcotic or stimulant drug.

  10. adrenaline rush: The sheer ecstatic rush in that moment was the best feeling on earth.

  11. Informal. a series of lavish attentions paid a woman by a suitor: He gave her a big rush.

  12. the rushing by a fraternity or sorority.

adjective

  1. requiring or done in haste: a rush order;rush work.

  2. characterized by excessive business, a press of work or traffic, etc.: The cafeteria's rush period was from noon to two in the afternoon.

  1. characterized by the rushing of potential new members by a sorority or fraternity: rush week on the university campus.

Origin of rush

1
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English verb rushe(n), ruishe, from Anglo-French russher, russer, Old French re(h)usser, re(h)user, ruser, from Late Latin recūsāre “to push back,” Latin: “to refuse”; noun derivative of the verb; see also recuse, ruse

synonym study For rush

1. Rush, hurry, dash, speed imply swiftness of movement. Rush implies haste and sometimes violence in motion through some distance: to rush to the store. Hurry suggests a sense of strain or agitation, a breathless rushing to get to a definite place by a certain time: to hurry to an appointment. Dash implies impetuosity or spirited, swift movement for a short distance: to dash to the neighbor's. Speed means to go fast, usually by means of some type of transportation, and with some smoothness of motion: to speed to a nearby city.

Other words for rush

Opposites for rush

Other words from rush

  • rush·ing·ly, adverb
  • un·rushed, adjective

Words Nearby rush

Other definitions for rush (2 of 3)

rush2
[ ruhsh ]
noun

  1. any grasslike plant of the genus Juncus, having pithy or hollow stems, found in wet or marshy places.: Compare rush family.

  2. any plant of the rush family.

  1. any of various similar plants.

  2. a stem of such a plant, used for making chair bottoms, mats, baskets, etc.

  3. something of little or no value; trifle: not worth a rush.

Origin of rush

2
First recorded before 900; Middle English risch(e), ris(s)e, rich, Old English rysc, risc, rix; cognate with Dutch, Middle High German rusch, obsolete German Rusch, German Rausch

Other words from rush

  • rushlike, adjective

Other definitions for Rush (3 of 3)

Rush
[ ruhsh ]
noun

  1. Benjamin, 1745–1813, U.S. physician and political leader: author of medical treatises.

  2. his son, Richard, 1780–1859, U.S. lawyer, politician, and diplomat.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use rush in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for rush (1 of 2)

rush1

/ (rʌʃ) /

verb

  1. to hurry or cause to hurry; hasten

  2. to make a sudden attack upon (a fortress, position, person, etc)

  1. (when intr , often foll by at, in or into) to proceed or approach in a reckless manner

  2. rush one's fences to proceed with precipitate haste

  3. (intr) to come, flow, swell, etc, quickly or suddenly: tears rushed to her eyes

  4. slang to cheat, esp by grossly overcharging

  5. (tr) US and Canadian to make a concerted effort to secure the agreement, participation, etc, of (a person)

  6. (intr) American football to gain ground by running forwards with the ball

noun

  1. the act or condition of rushing

  2. a sudden surge towards someone or something: a gold rush

  1. a sudden surge of sensation, esp produced by a drug

  2. a sudden demand

adjective(prenominal)

  1. requiring speed or urgency: a rush job

  2. characterized by much movement, business, etc: a rush period

Origin of rush

1
C14 ruschen, from Old French ruser to put to flight, from Latin recūsāre to refuse, reject

Derived forms of rush

  • rusher, noun

British Dictionary definitions for rush (2 of 2)

rush2

/ (rʌʃ) /

noun

  1. any annual or perennial plant of the genus Juncus, growing in wet places and typically having grasslike cylindrical leaves and small green or brown flowers: family Juncaceae Many species are used to make baskets

  2. any of various similar or related plants, such as the woodrush, scouring rush, and spike-rush

  1. something valueless; a trifle; straw: not worth a rush

  2. short for rush light

Origin of rush

2
Old English risce, rysce; related to Middle Dutch risch, Norwegian rusk, Old Slavonic rozga twig, rod

Derived forms of rush

  • rushlike, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with rush

rush

see bum's rush; fools rush in where angels fear to tread; mad rush; (rush) off someone's feet.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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