rush

[ ruhsh ]

/ rʌʃ /

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verb (used without object)

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

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

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

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

verb (used with object)

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

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

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

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

to attack suddenly and violently; charge.

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

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

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

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

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

a hostile attack.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

rushes, Movies. daily (def. 4).

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

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

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

the rushing by a fraternity or sorority.

adjective

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

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

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

OTHER WORDS FOR rush

1 hasten, run.

7 speed. urge.

See synonyms for rush on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR rush

18 sloth, indolence, lethargy.

See antonyms for rush on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of rush

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 FROM rush

rush·ing·ly, adverbun·rushed, adjective

Words nearby rush

Ruritania, Ruritanian, ruru, Rus., ruse, rush, rush candle, Rushdie, Rushdie, Salman, rushee, rusher

Other definitions for rush (2 of 3)

rush²

[ ruhsh ]

/ rʌʃ /

noun

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

any plant of the rush family.

any of various similar plants.

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

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

Origin of rush

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 ]

/ rʌʃ /

noun

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

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

As you say, Neil, the Washington pass rush can be a problem generally.
We Knew A Football Team Would Win In Week 1. But Maybe Not ‘Football Team.’|Sara Ziegler (sara.ziegler@fivethirtyeight.com)|September 14, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
Most vaccines take at least five years to go through clinical trials, and there have been questions around whether Covid-19 vaccines are being “rushed through.”
Oxford Scientists: These Are Final Steps We’re Taking to Get Our Coronavirus Vaccine Approved|Rebecca Ashfield|September 9, 2020|Singularity Hub
I found that creating time and space on Friday mornings makes me more present in those discussions, rather than squeezing people in during the rush of the week.
17 extremely useful productivity tips from this year’s 40 Under 40|Maria Aspan|September 6, 2020|Fortune
She was rushed to Howard University Hospital where she was pronounced dead the next day.
D.C. study documents ‘Life and Death’ of trans woman Alice Carter|Lou Chibbaro Jr.|September 2, 2020|Washington Blade

They’re the same reason why some venture capitalists aren’t rushing to be a part of the cannabis high.
ByteDance slams the possibility of a Triller-TikTok tie-up|Lucinda Shen|August 31, 2020|Fortune
There is the smell here of an indecent rush for scapegoats, even before we know what really caused this crash.
Annoying Airport Delays Might Prevent You From Becoming the Next AirAsia 8501|Clive Irving|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
In a show about single women, Sex and The City was always in a rush to get to the altar—and with a man there waiting.
Why Singles Should Say ‘I Don’t’ to The Self-Marriage Movement|Tim Teeman|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He headed west in 1860 for health reasons and to join the gold rush in Colorado.
My Love Letter to the Stetson|Mark McKinnon|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And it might not only be in Britain that politicians rush to legislate.
ISIS Has a Message. Do We?|Jamie Dettmer|December 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
No more than three minutes later, a handful of policemen rush in and tell us to get out of the store.
The Day I Used Eric Garner’s Voice|Joshua DuBois|December 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Thus he continued to rush over the frozen sea during a considerable part of that night.
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne
And as he said those words he made a quick rush toward Mr. Meadow Mouse.
The Tale of Grandfather Mole|Arthur Scott Bailey
They are faced by a horrid redoubt held by machine guns, and they are to rush it with the bayonet.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
When he assails a calf, the cow will rush upon him, and one toss from her horns is sufficient to kill him.
Hunting the Lions|R.M. Ballantyne
When they shall rush in unto Jacob, Israel shall blossom and bud, and they shall fill the face of the world with seed.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various

British Dictionary definitions for rush (1 of 2)

rush¹

/ (rʌʃ) /

verb

to hurry or cause to hurry; hasten

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

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

rush one's fences to proceed with precipitate haste

(intr) to come, flow, swell, etc, quickly or suddenlytears rushed to her eyes

slang to cheat, esp by grossly overcharging

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

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

noun

the act or condition of rushing

a sudden surge towards someone or somethinga gold rush

a sudden surge of sensation, esp produced by a drug

a sudden demand

adjective (prenominal)

requiring speed or urgencya rush job

characterized by much movement, business, etca rush period

Derived forms of rush

rusher, noun

Word Origin for rush

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

British Dictionary definitions for rush (2 of 2)

rush²

/ (rʌʃ) /

noun

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

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

something valueless; a trifle; strawnot worth a rush

short for rush light

Derived forms of rush

rushlike, adjective

Word Origin for rush

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

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.

rush

OTHER WORDS FOR rush

OPPOSITES FOR rush

Origin of rush

synonym study for rush

OTHER WORDS FROM rush

Words nearby rush

Other definitions for rush (2 of 3)

Origin of rush

OTHER WORDS FROM rush

Other definitions for rush (3 of 3)

Words related to rush

How to use rush in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for rush (1 of 2)

Derived forms of rush

Word Origin for rush

British Dictionary definitions for rush (2 of 2)

Derived forms of rush

Word Origin for rush

Other Idioms and Phrases with rush