rush

[ ruhsh ]

/ rʌʃ /

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See synonyms for rush on Thesaurus.com

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

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

At a time when many of us have little need for another handbag, shoppers rushed to buy one bag in particular this week.
Telfar’s move to make its sought-after bag available to everyone was smart business|Marc Bain|August 21, 2020|Quartz
For years, emergency rooms have haltingly tested AI systems that collect information on patients’ symptoms and medical histories, weigh it against data about similar cases, and make recommendations about who should be rushed in for treatment first.
The pandemic is automating emergency room triage|Nicolás Rivero|August 21, 2020|Quartz
There’s also the possibility that a vaccine could be approved — or rushed out — by November, though it’s highly unlikely it could be widely distributed by then.
It’s Way Too Soon To Count Trump Out|Nate Silver (nrsilver@fivethirtyeight.com)|August 12, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
One argument was that the kind of women who would rush to vote would be unsavory.
Suffragette City: San Diego’s Crucial Role in Getting Women the Vote|Randy Dotinga|August 6, 2020|Voice of San Diego

It seems as though we are rushing headlong into a major crisis, driven by the engine of accelerating automation.
The Global Work Crisis: Automation, the Case Against Jobs, and What to Do About It|Peter Xing|August 6, 2020|Singularity Hub
Both officers were rushed to Woodhull Hospital where they were pronounced dead.
Alleged Cop Killer Ismaaiyl Brinsley Had a Death Wish|M.L. Nestel|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Ramos and Liu were now rushed to nearby Woodhull Hospital, where one was pronounced dead.
Two Cops ‘Assassinated’ in Brooklyn|Michael Daly|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Both Mayor De Blasio and Police Commissioner William Bratton rushed to the hospital.
Two Cops ‘Assassinated’ in Brooklyn|Michael Daly|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For days, the ruble has been falling and salaries shrinking; shoppers have rushed to snap up TV sets and washing machines.
After His Disastrous Annual Press Conference, Putin Needs A Hug|Anna Nemtsova|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Instead, politicians and pundits rushed to tell the public what the events meant.
The Media's Pro-Torture Cheerleaders|Jedediah Purdy|December 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Most of the men leaped up, caught hold of spears or knives, and rushed out.
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne
The blood that accused his friend in his heart, rushed to his face, when he repeated what had been told him.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
I rushed home and practiced till ten, and then I got up early the next morning and practiced a few hours.
Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay
The kites soared, and the boats rushed swiftly over the calm and glittering sea.
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne
Davy rushed up to the clock, and, pulling open the little door in the front of it, looked inside.
Davy and The Goblin|Charles E. Carryl

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

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