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.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
And a day goes by, and artillery, but my neighbor’s funeral passes along slowly, why rush at a time like this! Nasser Rabah, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024 Its roiling surface was broken by little outbursts of flute and clarinet, with sudden rushes of cello and violin picking. Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 There’s a whole new way to get rich on the internet—at least according to a rush of YouTube tutorials touting the money to be made using AI to generate videos for kids. Kate Knibbs, WIRED, 12 Mar. 2024 In The Searcher, after questioning a few witnesses and ignoring his craggy old neighbor Mart’s warnings to mind his business, the truth about what happened to Trey’s brother comes out in a sudden rush of confession, the least satisfying of all mystery reveals. Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2024 There was not a similar rush of support behind Haley. Cnn Com Wire Service, Orange County Register, 6 Mar. 2024 Target is launching Target Circle 360, a $99 annual subscription that will offer free, unlimited delivery and rush shipping on online orders. Amrita Khalid, The Verge, 7 Mar. 2024 The biomass rush began in the late 2000s, when the European Parliament passed what became known as the Renewable Energy Directive, a legal framework for boosting renewable sources to 20% of European Union energy by 2020. Alfredo Sosa, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Mar. 2024 These cultural flashbacks counter the current rush to make AI take over our lives. Armond White, National Review, 6 Mar. 2024
Verb
The child was rushed to the hospital where she was pronounced dead. Kc Baker, Peoplemag, 20 Mar. 2024 In Week 3, Dobbs engineered a 28-16 win over Dallas by going 17 of 21 for 189 yards and rushing for 55 yards on six carries. Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2024 The latest data is likely to add bets that central bank policymakers won’t rush to cut the key interest rate from the current level of 4.5%, despite price growth easing. Ott Ummelas, Fortune Europe, 18 Mar. 2024 In such situations, no one wants to claim responsibility or rush to the regime’s defense. Joshua Yaffa, The New Yorker, 16 Mar. 2024 Abstract concepts rush in when the Gemini moon encourages Mars. USA TODAY, 16 Mar. 2024 Prosecutors played behind-the-scenes video from the set for jurors; one video from several days before the deadly shooting showed Baldwin rushing crew members to quickly reload his gun. Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2024 After players retreated to the locker room, Davis rushed to the court to corral the flying insects which had begun swarming on one of the overhead cameras on court. Ben Church, CNN, 15 Mar. 2024 Shortly before midnight Friday, Gaza’s Health Ministry said that dozens of people had been killed or injured as the result of an Israeli attack on civilians waiting for food at the Kuwaiti Roundabout, a place in northern Gaza where people have rushed to intercept aid deliveries. Hazem Balousha, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 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

Dictionary Entries Near rush

Cite this Entry

“Rush.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rush. Accessed 29 Mar. 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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