: 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.
Recent Examples on the WebElla Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Apr. 2024
Indonesia, for example, is decimating rainforests and destroying the homes of uncontacted tribes in the rush to get lithium to power-hungry car manufacturers.
—Lawrence Hodge / Jalopnik, Quartz, 11 Apr. 2024
The company is playing defense amid a rush of lawsuits, investigations and potential legislation that threaten its goal of building the world’s most powerful AI.
—Elizabeth Dwoskin, Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2024
The detective comes looking for her, staggering desperately among the sharp black rocks on the sand, searching as the tide eddies and rushes, iridescent and churning, the light slowly vanishing from the pastel gradient of the sky.
—Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
Chef Andrés’s rush to judgment has an underlying goal.
—Matthew Continetti, National Review, 6 Apr. 2024
Those linebackers all have pass rush and coverage skills, and Entz sees those in Gentry.
—Aaron Heisen, Orange County Register, 5 Apr. 2024
Wendy’s last month ended up walking back comments about its dynamic pricing plans after consumers were outraged at the notion of a dinner rush making your burger more expensive.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 3 Apr. 2024
McIntyre is proving his worth to WWE right now, but WWE hasn’t been in any rush to re-sign top stars to high-dollar deals, as evidenced by Becky Lynch’s soon-to-be-expiring contract.
—Blake Oestriecher, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024
Jacob Lev, CNN, 14 Apr. 2024
House hunters may have rushed to close deals as rates rose at the start of 2024.
—Jonathan Lansner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2024
Winger Carter Verhaeghe and defenseman Aaron Ekblad have both missed almost all of April, and Florida isn’t rushing them back, instead waiting for Game 1 of the playoffs to bring them back.
—David Wilson, Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 2024
The Warriors had a chance to tie the game with 20 seconds left, but Curry rushed a one-handed 3-pointer over two defenders.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 13 Apr. 2024
The couple rushed to get married, eager to start their new life together.
—Greg Braxton, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
In the 1970s and 1980s, the Dalkon Shield — an intrauterine birth-control device invented and marketed by a two-man team and rushed to market with insufficient clinical data — harmed women for decades, causing pelvic infections, infertility, unintended pregnancies, and even deaths.
—Catherine M. Klapperich, STAT, 12 Apr. 2024
Feds rush to open probe of Ford recall prompted by possible engine fires
Consolidating debt with home equity: Pros and cons to consider
Justice Neil Gorsuch is not pleased with judges setting nationwide policy.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2024
Every time Justice played it live, audio techs rushed the stage to see if there was a problem with the cables.
—Katie Bain, Billboard, 11 Apr. 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
The City of Fort Worth feels no rush to start up new technology.
—Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Apr. 2024
Indonesia, for example, is decimating rainforests and destroying the homes of uncontacted tribes in the rush to get lithium to power-hungry car manufacturers.
—Lawrence Hodge / Jalopnik, Quartz, 11 Apr. 2024
The company is playing defense amid a rush of lawsuits, investigations and potential legislation that threaten its goal of building the world’s most powerful AI.
—Elizabeth Dwoskin, Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2024
The detective comes looking for her, staggering desperately among the sharp black rocks on the sand, searching as the tide eddies and rushes, iridescent and churning, the light slowly vanishing from the pastel gradient of the sky.
—Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
Chef Andrés’s rush to judgment has an underlying goal.
—Matthew Continetti, National Review, 6 Apr. 2024
Those linebackers all have pass rush and coverage skills, and Entz sees those in Gentry.
—Aaron Heisen, Orange County Register, 5 Apr. 2024
Wendy’s last month ended up walking back comments about its dynamic pricing plans after consumers were outraged at the notion of a dinner rush making your burger more expensive.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 3 Apr. 2024
McIntyre is proving his worth to WWE right now, but WWE hasn’t been in any rush to re-sign top stars to high-dollar deals, as evidenced by Becky Lynch’s soon-to-be-expiring contract.
—Blake Oestriecher, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024
Verb
Following the final whistle, fans of the club rushed the field to celebrate their return to the division for the first time in 19 years.
—Jacob Lev, CNN, 14 Apr. 2024
House hunters may have rushed to close deals as rates rose at the start of 2024.
—Jonathan Lansner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2024
Winger Carter Verhaeghe and defenseman Aaron Ekblad have both missed almost all of April, and Florida isn’t rushing them back, instead waiting for Game 1 of the playoffs to bring them back.
—David Wilson, Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 2024
The Warriors had a chance to tie the game with 20 seconds left, but Curry rushed a one-handed 3-pointer over two defenders.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 13 Apr. 2024
The couple rushed to get married, eager to start their new life together.
—Greg Braxton, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
In the 1970s and 1980s, the Dalkon Shield — an intrauterine birth-control device invented and marketed by a two-man team and rushed to market with insufficient clinical data — harmed women for decades, causing pelvic infections, infertility, unintended pregnancies, and even deaths.
—Catherine M. Klapperich, STAT, 12 Apr. 2024
Feds rush to open probe of Ford recall prompted by possible engine fires
Consolidating debt with home equity: Pros and cons to consider
Justice Neil Gorsuch is not pleased with judges setting nationwide policy.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2024
Every time Justice played it live, audio techs rushed the stage to see if there was a problem with the cables.
—Katie Bain, Billboard, 11 Apr. 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.
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
Phrases Containing rush
Dictionary Entries Near rush
Cite this Entry
“Rush.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rush. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
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 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
More from Merriam-Webster on rush
Nglish: Translation of rush for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of rush for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about rush
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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