rush

1 of 4

noun (1)

: 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
rushy adjective

rush

2 of 4

verb

rushed; rushing; rushes

intransitive verb

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

transitive verb

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

rush

3 of 4

noun (2)

1
a
: a violent forward motion
b
c
: a surging of emotion
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
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
Drink one fast and you might experience brain freeze and a caffeine rush at the same time.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

rush

4 of 4

adjective

: requiring or marked by special speed or urgency
rush orders
the rush season
a rush job

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. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The Black Opium Illicit Green perfume has notes of black coffee essence with hints of ripe green mandarin and smooth fig, evoking a rush of energy with every spritz. Kayla Kitts, Peoplemag, 27 Nov. 2023 Target's knocking up to 50 percent off all its artificial trees before the rush even begins. Scott Gilbertson, WIRED, 26 Nov. 2023 His 70-yard TD run was the longest rush by an SDSU quarterback in at least three decades. Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Nov. 2023 At one point, when Deborah from Elan Artists sang ‘Valerie’ by Mark Ronson and Amy Winehouse, everyone was on their feet in a train from one room to the other, while flinging with dinner napkins around instilling a rush of energy that led to the after-party. Alexandra MacOn, Vogue, 17 Nov. 2023 Much like a storied ocean liner, the majestic Eastern & Oriental Express is a destination unto itself, with a sultry piano bar car; an open-air lounge with wicker furniture where passengers can watch the Malaysian jungle rush by; and two restaurant carriages serving Peranakan food. Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 16 Nov. 2023 That’s encouraging, although solar installers say those numbers reflect a last-minute rush by single-family homes to secure higher incentives before net metering cuts took effect in April. Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 16 Nov. 2023 Also consider returning home late in the day on Friday, before the weekend rush. Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 16 Nov. 2023 For some Arab American small-business owners across the state, the last month has brought devastating news from abroad, a heightened level of tension and fear to their daily work routines, but also, at times, a rush of new customers eager to show support with their pocketbooks. Marisa Gerber, Los Angeles Times, 15 Nov. 2023
Verb
Instead, Manchester United remained frantic and rushed in midfield and defence – leaving spaces all over the pitch for Galatasaray’s players to run into and past. Liam Canning, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023 With the Soviets moving swiftly across Ukraine, the Nazis rushed to destroy all evidence of their crimes; the Soviet prisoners were among 321 captives whom the Nazis ordered to reopen the mass graves and cremate the corpses of Jewish victims just before the Wehrmacht’s withdrawal. Joshua Hammer, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Nov. 2023 This was the best team rushing performance by the Rams since their 2018 playoff win over Dallas. Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 28 Nov. 2023 Baby King, who was rushed to a local hospital, died later that day, according to county prosecutors. Emily Palmer, Peoplemag, 28 Nov. 2023 Sacramento has rushed to the left in recent decades while Tallahassee has moved to the right. The Editorial Board, WSJ, 28 Nov. 2023 With the four-day truce due to expire Tuesday morning, aid groups rushed to increase deliveries to the enclave and Gazans braced for warplanes to return to the skies. Susannah George, Washington Post, 26 Nov. 2023 As for his legs, Diehl had rushed for 1,234 yards and 15 TDs. Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Nov. 2023 Detroit is 7-2 and one of the NFC’s top teams and has an offense that ranks in the top four in both rushing and passing. Jeff Miller, Los Angeles Times, 16 Nov. 2023
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 See More

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.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English rysc; akin to Middle High German rusch rush, Lithuanian regzti to knit

Verb

Middle English russhen, from Anglo-French reuser, ruser, russher to drive back, repulse, from Latin recusare to oppose — more at recusant

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1879, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rush was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near rush

Cite this Entry

“Rush.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rush. Accessed 8 Dec. 2023.

Kids 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 verb
1
: 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 noun
1
: 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

noun
1
: 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

Rush

biographical name

Benjamin 1745–1813 American physician and patriot

More from Merriam-Webster on rush

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!