rush

¹

[ruhsh]

verb (used without object)

1. to move, act, or progress with speed, impetuosity, or violence.

   Synonyms: urge, speed, run, hasten

2. to dash, especially to dash forward for an attack or onslaught.

3. to appear, go, pass, etc., rapidly or suddenly.

   The blood rushed to his face.

4. Football.,  to carry the ball on a running play or plays.

verb (used with object)

1. to perform, accomplish, or finish with speed, impetuosity, or violence.

   They rushed the work to make the deadline.

2. to carry or convey with haste.

   to rush an injured person to the hospital.

3. to cause to move, act, or progress quickly; hurry.

   He rushed his roommate to get to the party on time.

4. to send, push, force, impel, etc., with unusual speed or haste.

   to rush a bill through Congress.

5. to attack suddenly and violently; charge.

6. to overcome or capture (a person, place, etc.).

7. Informal.,  to heap attentions on; court intensively; woo.

   to rush an attractive newcomer.

8. to entertain (a prospective fraternity or sorority member) before making bids for membership.

9. Football.

   1. to carry (the ball) forward across the line of scrimmage.

   2. to carry the ball (a distance) forward from the line of scrimmage.

      The home team rushed 145 yards.

   3. (of a defensive team member) to attempt to force a way quickly into the backfield in pursuit of (the back in possession of the ball).

noun

1. the act of rushing; a rapid, impetuous, or violent onward movement.

2. a hostile attack.

3. an eager rushing of numbers of persons to some region that is being occupied or exploited, especially because of a new mine.

   the gold rush to California.

4. a sudden appearance or surge.

   Seeing the old photo set off a rush of tears.

   You’ll experience a massive rush of adrenaline as you find yourself in free fall.

5. hurried activity; busy haste.

   the rush of city life.

   Antonyms: lethargy, indolence, sloth

6. a hurried state, as from pressure of affairs.

   to be in a rush.

7. press of work, business, traffic, etc., requiring extraordinary effort or haste.

8. Football.

   1. an attempt to carry or instance of carrying the ball across the line of scrimmage.

   2. an act or instance of rushing the offensive back in possession of the ball.

9. a scrimmage held as a form of sport between classes or bodies of students in colleges.

10. Movies.,  rushes, daily.

11. Also called flash. Slang.,  the initial, intensely pleasurable or exhilarated feeling experienced upon taking a narcotic or stimulant drug.

12. adrenaline rush.

    The sheer ecstatic rush in that moment was the best feeling on earth.

13. Informal.,  a series of lavish attentions paid a woman by a suitor.

    He gave her a big rush.

14. the rushing by a fraternity or sorority.

adjective

1. requiring or done in haste: rush work.

   a rush order;

   rush work.

2. characterized by excessive business, a press of work or traffic, etc..

   The cafeteria's rush period was from noon to two in the afternoon.

3. characterized by the rushing of potential new members by a sorority or fraternity.

   rush week on the university campus.

rush

²

[ruhsh]

noun

1. any grasslike plant of the genus Juncus, having pithy or hollow stems, found in wet or marshy places.

2. any plant of the rush family.

3. any of various similar plants.

4. a stem of such a plant, used for making chair bottoms, mats, baskets, etc.

5. something of little or no value; trifle.

   not worth a rush.

Rush

³

[ruhsh]

noun

1. Benjamin, 1745–1813, U.S. physician and political leader: author of medical treatises.

2. his son Richard, 1780–1859, U.S. lawyer, politician, and diplomat.

rush

¹

/ rʌʃ /

verb

1. to hurry or cause to hurry; hasten

2. to make a sudden attack upon (a fortress, position, person, etc)

3. to proceed or approach in a reckless manner

4. to proceed with precipitate haste

5. (intr) to come, flow, swell, etc, quickly or suddenly

   tears rushed to her eyes

6. slang,  to cheat, esp by grossly overcharging

7. (tr) to make a concerted effort to secure the agreement, participation, etc, of (a person)

8. (intr) American football to gain ground by running forwards with the ball

noun

1. the act or condition of rushing

2. a sudden surge towards someone or something

   a gold rush

3. a sudden surge of sensation, esp produced by a drug

4. a sudden demand

adjective

1. requiring speed or urgency

   a rush job

2. characterized by much movement, business, etc

   a rush period

rush

²

/ rʌʃ /

noun

1. any annual or perennial plant of the genus Juncus , growing in wet places and typically having grasslike cylindrical leaves and small green or brown flowers: family Juncaceae Many species are used to make baskets

2. any of various similar or related plants, such as the woodrush, scouring rush, and spike-rush

3. something valueless; a trifle; straw

   not worth a rush

4. short for rush light

Other Word Forms

• rusher noun
• rushlike adjective
• rushingly adverb
• unrushed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of rush¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English verb rushe(n), ruishe, from Anglo-French russher, russer, Old French re(h)usser, re(h)user, ruser, from Late Latin recūsāre “to push back,” Latin: “to refuse”; noun derivative of the verb; recuse, ruse

Origin of rush²

First recorded before 900; Middle English risch(e), ris(s)e, rich, Old English rysc, risc, rix; cognate with Dutch, Middle High German rusch, obsolete German Rusch, German Rausch

Word History and Origins

Origin of rush¹

C14 ruschen , from Old French ruser to put to flight, from Latin recūsāre to refuse, reject

Origin of rush²

Old English risce, rysce ; related to Middle Dutch risch , Norwegian rusk , Old Slavonic rozga twig, rod

Idioms and Phrases

see bum's rush; fools rush in where angels fear to tread; mad rush; (rush) off someone's feet.

Synonym Study

Rush, hurry, dash, speed imply swiftness of movement. Rush implies haste and sometimes violence in motion through some distance: to rush to the store. Hurry suggests a sense of strain or agitation, a breathless rushing to get to a definite place by a certain time: to hurry to an appointment. Dash implies impetuosity or spirited, swift movement for a short distance: to dash to the neighbor's. Speed means to go fast, usually by means of some type of transportation, and with some smoothness of motion: to speed to a nearby city.

Example Sentences

As the news blared out across the cafes and bars of the National Exhibition Centre, party members rushed to take their seats.

From BBC

Indeed, the lines at the Oasis pop-up merch mart in Hollywood have been formidable, as fans rushed to commemorate the reunion they feared might never come.

From Los Angeles Times

Indeed, the rushed circumstances surrounding his Arsenal loan last season have acted as a cautionary tale.

From BBC

The front and pass rush is expected to help create turnover opportunities for a secondary that added no new players during the offseason.

From Los Angeles Times

Tennessee rookie QB Cam Ward will have a tough debut against a fierce Denver pass rush.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• barrel 
• bolt 
• break 
• charge 
• chase 
• dash 
• dispatch 
• fly 
• hustle 
• press 
• push 
• run 
• scramble 
• scurry 
• shoot 
• sprint 
• zip