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. 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 Web
Noun
The Missouri product put up 70 yards on nine rush attempts. Vincent Frank, Forbes, 22 Sep. 2024 The airstrike during the Friday afternoon rush leveled the building in a densely populated neighborhood in southern Beirut as Hezbollah members were meeting in the basement, according to Israel. Bassem Mroue, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 Sep. 2024
Verb
King Street in Boone, a postcard-perfect college town, turned into a rushing river. Michael Graff, Axios, 28 Sep. 2024 Check it out: The Bears rank 30th in total offense, 25th in passing offense, 31st in rushing offense and 22nd in points per game. Jim Reineking, USA TODAY, 27 Sep. 2024
Adjective
Others were rush jobs. Rolling Stone, 27 Dec. 2022 See all Example Sentences for rush 

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 7 Oct. 2024.

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

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