: any of various monocotyledonous often tufted marsh plants (as of the genera Juncus and Luzula of the family Juncaceae, the rush family) with cylindrical often hollow stems which are used in bottoming chairs and plaiting mats
rushed; rushing; rushes
1
: to move forward, progress, or act with haste or eagerness or without preparation
2
: to advance a football by running plays
rushed for a total of 150 yards
1
: to push or impel on or forward with speed, impetuosity, or violence
2
: to perform in a short time or at high speed
3
: to urge to an unnatural or extreme speed
don't rush me
4
: to run toward or against in attack : charge
5
a
: to carry (a ball) forward in a running play
b
: to move in quickly on (a kicker or passer) to hinder, prevent, or block a kick or pass
—used especially of defensive linemen
6
a
: to lavish attention on : court
b
: to try to secure a pledge of membership (as in a fraternity) from
2
a
: a burst of activity, productivity, or speed
b
: a sudden insistent demand
3
: a thronging of people usually to a new place in search of wealth
a gold rush
4
a
: the act of carrying a football during a game : running play
b
: the action or an instance of rushing a passer or kicker in football
a pass rush
5
a
: a round of attention usually involving extensive social activity
b
: a drive by a fraternity or sorority to recruit new members
6
: a print of a motion-picture scene processed directly after the shooting for review by the director or producer : daily sense 3
—usually used in plural
7
a
: the immediate pleasurable feeling produced by a drug (such as heroin or cocaine)
called also flash
… stimulants found in the bath salts provide a rush similar to cocaine or methamphetamine.—
Larry Oakes
Larry Oakes
b
: a surge in energy following the intake of sugar or caffeine
The sugar rush has many causes, but one of the most important was the invention of high-fructose corn syrup in 1957.—Tiffany O'Callaghan
Tiffany O'CallaghanDrink one fast and you might experience brain freeze and a caffeine rush at the same time.—Margaret McCormick
Margaret McCormick
c
: a sudden feeling of intense pleasure or excitement : thrill
… boys and girls around the country still get a rush out of zipping downhill in hand-made cars at speeds up to 30 mph.—Rene Romo
Rene Romo
: requiring or marked by special speed or urgency
rush orders
the rush season
a rush job
Synonyms
Examples of rush in a Sentence
Verb
Firefighters rushed to the accident scene.
The children rushed down the stairs.
I rushed home from work to get ready for the party.
She rushed to close the window when she heard the rain.
We were rushing to catch the bus.
He got nervous because they rushed him.
He rushed through his work and made a lot of careless mistakes.
Water rushed through the pipes.
The rushing water broke through the barrier.
Noun (2)
what's the reason for all this rush?
the regiment recaptured the hill with a single rush
riding my motorcycle over these winding roads is always an adrenaline-pumping rush
Recent Examples on the WebHilary Tetenbaum, USA TODAY, 13 May 2024
Within a minute after Game 1 overtime hero Miles Wood was denied on a partial breakaway, the Stars enjoyed an odd-man rush that ended with Hintz burying a sharp-angled shot.
—Field Level Media, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 May 2024
Given the rush that typically accompanies cherry picking, expect some places to have reservation systems and warnings about possibly running out of ripe fruit early in the day.
—John Metcalfe, The Mercury News, 9 May 2024
Gig workers, contractors, and freelancers often thrive in the exhilarating rush of the perpetual launch stage inherent in embarking on new projects.
—Ebony Flake, Essence, 8 May 2024
And Kardashian is apparently in no rush to get serious again, with three marriages behind her.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 3 May 2024
Tamborello honored the assignment Monday and offered one nostalgic rush after the other.
—Piet Levy, Journal Sentinel, 7 May 2024
Jonas says nothing produces a better adrenaline rush than riding a wave and nothing is more relaxing than sitting on a board in the middle of the ocean.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 5 May 2024
And then Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo put Boston up 3-1 with 21 seconds left in the period with a shot from the top of the right circle with the Panthers out of position to defend the Bruins’ rush.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 7 May 2024
Sarah McCammon, NPR, 21 May 2024
Bachmann’s frazzled staffers and volunteers weren’t much better, seemingly rushing between photo-ops that lasted, in some cases, fewer than 10 minutes for 100 people.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 20 May 2024
The child was rushed to a local hospital for treatment and then airlifted to Primary Children’s Hospital in Utah.
—Kc Baker, Peoplemag, 16 May 2024
The whole thing seemed rushed and designed to simply match Microsoft and OpenAI.
—Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 15 May 2024
First responders rushed the teen to the University of Cincinnati West Chester Hospital for treatment of serious injuries.
—Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 15 May 2024
In this science fiction novel rooted in Korean culture, a teen and her classmates are rushed into training to pilot robot warriors, only to learn of problems that threaten everything.
—Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 15 May 2024
He was rushed to a nearby hospital, then airlifted to another hospital for emergency surgery.
—Richard Pérez-Peña, New York Times, 15 May 2024
Consumers are also holding off on renovating and changing their homes after rushing to do so during the pandemic, instead prioritizing essentials.
—Wire Services, Orange County Register, 15 May 2024
Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY, 7 Aug. 2023
This is has not been rush mode.
—Evan Grant, Dallas News, 25 Mar. 2023
Others were rush jobs.
—Rolling Stone, 27 Dec. 2022
Does Kimberly know not attending one pre-rush event won’t disqualify you from actually rushing?
—Ashley Bardhan, Vulture, 26 Nov. 2021
Noun
However, the rush of visitors is reducing because small towns struggle to market their natural resources and promote sustainable tourism.
—Hilary Tetenbaum, USA TODAY, 13 May 2024
Within a minute after Game 1 overtime hero Miles Wood was denied on a partial breakaway, the Stars enjoyed an odd-man rush that ended with Hintz burying a sharp-angled shot.
—Field Level Media, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 May 2024
Given the rush that typically accompanies cherry picking, expect some places to have reservation systems and warnings about possibly running out of ripe fruit early in the day.
—John Metcalfe, The Mercury News, 9 May 2024
Gig workers, contractors, and freelancers often thrive in the exhilarating rush of the perpetual launch stage inherent in embarking on new projects.
—Ebony Flake, Essence, 8 May 2024
And Kardashian is apparently in no rush to get serious again, with three marriages behind her.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 3 May 2024
Tamborello honored the assignment Monday and offered one nostalgic rush after the other.
—Piet Levy, Journal Sentinel, 7 May 2024
Jonas says nothing produces a better adrenaline rush than riding a wave and nothing is more relaxing than sitting on a board in the middle of the ocean.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 5 May 2024
And then Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo put Boston up 3-1 with 21 seconds left in the period with a shot from the top of the right circle with the Panthers out of position to defend the Bruins’ rush.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 7 May 2024
Verb
Republicans there rushed to pass a law designed to protect providers from legal consequences.
—Sarah McCammon, NPR, 21 May 2024
Bachmann’s frazzled staffers and volunteers weren’t much better, seemingly rushing between photo-ops that lasted, in some cases, fewer than 10 minutes for 100 people.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 20 May 2024
The child was rushed to a local hospital for treatment and then airlifted to Primary Children’s Hospital in Utah.
—Kc Baker, Peoplemag, 16 May 2024
The whole thing seemed rushed and designed to simply match Microsoft and OpenAI.
—Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 15 May 2024
First responders rushed the teen to the University of Cincinnati West Chester Hospital for treatment of serious injuries.
—Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 15 May 2024
In this science fiction novel rooted in Korean culture, a teen and her classmates are rushed into training to pilot robot warriors, only to learn of problems that threaten everything.
—Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 15 May 2024
He was rushed to a nearby hospital, then airlifted to another hospital for emergency surgery.
—Richard Pérez-Peña, New York Times, 15 May 2024
Consumers are also holding off on renovating and changing their homes after rushing to do so during the pandemic, instead prioritizing essentials.
—Wire Services, Orange County Register, 15 May 2024
Adjective
The difference-maker on defense will again be rush end Jared Verse, coming off a nine-sack campaign in his first year in Tallahassee.
—Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY, 7 Aug. 2023
This is has not been rush mode.
—Evan Grant, Dallas News, 25 Mar. 2023
Others were rush jobs.
—Rolling Stone, 27 Dec. 2022
Does Kimberly know not attending one pre-rush event won’t disqualify you from actually rushing?
—Ashley Bardhan, Vulture, 26 Nov. 2021
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rush.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near rush
Cite this Entry
“Rush.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rush. Accessed 24 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rush
1 of 4 noun
: any of various marsh plants that are monocotyledons often having hollow stems sometimes used to weave chair seats and mats
rush
2 of 4 verb1
: to move forward or act with haste or eagerness
2
: to perform in a short time or at high speed
rushed the job through
3
: to urge on to greater speed
don't rush me
4
: to run toward or against in attack : charge
rusher
noun
rush
3 of 4 noun1
: a violent forward motion
a rush of wind
2
: a burst of activity or speed
3
: an eager migration of people usually to a new place in search of wealth
the gold rush
rush
4 of 4 adjective
: demanding special speed or hurry
rush orders
the rush season
Etymology
Noun
Old English rysc "the rush plant"
Verb
Middle English russhen "to rush," from early French ruser "to drive off, repulse," from Latin recusare "to oppose"
Medical Definition
rush
noun1
: a rapid and extensive wave of peristalsis along the walls of the intestine
peristaltic rush
2
: the immediate pleasurable feeling produced by a drug (as heroin or amphetamine)
called also flash
Biographical Definition
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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