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definitions

rushing

[ruhsh-ing]
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR rushing ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a sequence of social events sponsored by a fraternity or sorority for prospective members prior to bidding and pledging.

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RELATED WORDS

running, moving, driving, dashing, racing, flying, scurrying, darting, hasty

Nearby words

  1. rushdie,
  2. rushdie, salman,
  3. rushee,
  4. rusher,
  5. rushes,
  6. rushingly,
  7. rushmore,
  8. rushmore, mount,
  9. rushwork,
  10. rushy

Origin of rushing

An Americanism dating back to 1900–05; rush1 + -ing1
Related formsun·rush·ing, adjective

rush

1
[ruhsh]

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.
  1. to carry (the ball) forward across the line of scrimmage.
  2. to carry the ball (a distance) forward from the line of scrimmage: The home team rushed 145 yards.
  3. (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 access: a rush of tears.
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.
  1. an attempt to carry or instance of carrying the ball across the line of scrimmage.
  2. 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).
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.
Also called flash. Slang. the initial, intensely pleasurable or exhilarated feeling experienced upon taking a narcotic or stimulant drug.

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.

Origin of rush

1
1325–75; (v.) Middle English ruschen < Anglo-French russher, russer, Old French re(h)usser, re(h)user, ruser < Late Latin recūsāre, to push back, Latin: to refuse. See recuse, ruse; (noun) Middle English rus(s)che, derivative of the v.
SYNONYMS FOR rush
1. hasten, run. 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.
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ANTONYMS FOR rush
18. sloth, lethargy.
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Related formsrush·ing·ly, adverbun·rushed, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for rushing

British Dictionary definitions for rushing

rush

1

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 Formsrusher, noun

Word Origin for rush

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

rush

2

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 Formsrushlike, 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
Word Origin and History for rushing
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Medicine definitions for rushing

Rush

[rŭsh]Benjamin 1745-1813

American physician, politician, and educator. A signer of the Declaration of Independence, he promoted the humane treatment of the mentally ill.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Idioms and Phrases with rushing

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.