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push¹

  • /pʊʃ/
  • [pʷʊʃ]
  • /pʉʃ/ Northern Ireland, Scotland
  • [puʃ] Appalachia

Rhymes with -ʊʃ

Where it comes from

From Middle English pushen, poshen, posson, borrowed from Middle French pousser (Modern French pousser) from Old French poulser, from Latin pulsare (“to beat, strike”), frequentative of pellere (past participle pulsus). Doublet of pulsate and pulse (verb). Partly displaced native Old English sċūfan, whence Modern English shove.

verb pushes · pushing · pushed · push

  1. intransitive, transitive To apply a force to (an object) such that it moves away from the person or thing applying the force. In his anger he pushed me against the wall and threatened me.

    Similar: press, shove, thring, thrutch · Opposite: draw, pull, tug

  2. transitive To continually attempt to persuade (a person) into a particular course of action. We are pushed for an answer.

    Similar: press, urge, abet, actuate, goose, fuel, light a fire under, send, sting, bring about, cheer, draw

  3. transitive To press or urge forward; to drive. to push an objection too far; to push one's luck

    Similar: drive, force

  4. transitive To continually promote (a point of view, a product for sale, etc.). Stop pushing the issue — I'm not interested.

    Similar: advertise, promote

  5. intransitive To continually exert oneself in order to achieve a goal. Don't think that if you keep pushing harder and harder, it will make you succeed faster or earn more.
  6. informal, participle, present, regional, transitive To approach; to come close to. My old car is pushing 250,000 miles.

    Similar: approach, near

  7. intransitive To tense the muscles in the abdomen in order to give birth or defecate. During childbirth, there are times when the obstetrician advises the woman not to push.

    Similar: bear down, boo-boo, cack, choke a darkie, crap, defecate, do one's ease, ease oneself, do a number two, do one's easement, drite, drop a bomb

  8. intransitive To continue to attempt to persuade a person into a particular course of action.
  9. To make a higher bid at an auction.
  10. To make an all-in bet.
  11. transitive To move (a pawn) directly forward.
  12. To add (a data item) to the top of a stack. When the microprocessor decodes the JSR opcode, it stores the operand into the TEMP register and pushes the current contents of the PC ($00 0128) onto the stack.

    Opposite: pop

  13. To publish (an update, etc.) by transmitting it to other computers. Because this version of the Windows Installer is aware of the GAC, it has the capability to publish components into it. […] You can manually or programmatically push an assembly into the GAC by using the command-line tool Gacutil.exe.
  14. obsolete To thrust the points of the horns against; to gore. If the ox shall push a manservant or maidservant, […] the ox shall be stoned.
  15. To burst out of its pot, as a bud or shoot.
  16. To strike the cue ball in such a way that it stays in contact with the cue and object ball at the same time (a foul shot).

noun pushes

  1. countable, uncountable A short, directed application of force; an act of pushing. Give the door a hard push if it sticks.
  2. countable, uncountable An act of tensing the muscles of the abdomen in order to expel its contents. One more push and the baby will be out.
  3. countable, uncountable A great effort (to do something). Some details got lost in the push to get the project done.
  4. countable, uncountable An attempt to persuade someone into a particular course of action.
  5. countable, figuratively, uncountable A force that impels or pressures one to act. I guess it's just the special curse of working under deadline's push

    Similar: impetus

  6. countable, uncountable A marching or drill maneuver/manoeuvre performed by moving a formation (especially a company front) forward or toward the audience, usually to accompany a dramatic climax or crescendo in the music.
  7. countable, uncountable A wager that results in no loss or gain for the bettor as a result of a tie or even score
  8. countable, uncountable The addition of a data item to the top of a stack.
  9. Internet, uncountable The situation where a server sends data to a client without waiting for a request. server push; a push technology
  10. Australia, UK, countable, obsolete, slang, uncountable A particular crowd or throng or people. Till some wild, excited person Galloped down the township cursing, "Sydney push have mobbed Macpherson, Roll up, Dandaloo!"
  11. countable, uncountable A push shot.
  12. countable, slang, uncountable An attempt to give momentum to a wrestler's career in the form of victories and/or more screen time.
  13. countable, uncountable A push-button, such as a bell push. A bell circuit, fed from the train lighting battery, is connected to a push in each berth and functions in conjunction with a luminous indicator mounted over the door and in association with a cancellation push, for use by the car attendant.

push²

  • /pʊʃ/
  • /pʌʃ/

Where it comes from

Probably French poche. See pouch.

noun pushes

  1. UK, dialectal, obsolete A pustule; a pimple. a Push rise upon his Nose

Push³

proper noun Pushes

  1. A surname.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: crowd, press, tug, fight, energy, promote, labour, bear on, agitate, force, drive, get-up-and-go, campaign, push button, thrust, labor

Translations

Every language

verb to apply a force to something so that it moves away

Españolempujar, achuchar, embutiar, embutar, emburriar
한국어밀다 milda
日本語押す osu
中文推 tuī
हिन्दीधकेलना dhakelnā, ठेलना ṭhelnā
Kiswahilikusukuma
Portuguêsempurrar, tchovar
Françaispousser
Deutschdrücken, schieben, stoßen
Italianospingere
Ελληνικάσπρώχνω spróchno
Românăîmpinge, apăsa
Русскийтолка́ть tolkátʹ, толкну́ть tolknútʹ, пиха́ть pixátʹ, пихну́ть pixnútʹ
Tiếng Việtxô, đẩy
العربيةدَفَعَ dafaʕa
עבריתדָּחַף dakháf

verb to continually attempt to persuade into a particular action

Portuguêspressionar
Deutschdrängen
Italianospingere, insistere
Русскийподта́лкивать podtálkivatʹ, подгоня́ть podgonjátʹ, прота́лкивать protálkivatʹ

verb to continually attempt to promote point of view, product etc.

Españoldifundir
Portuguêsforçar
Italianospingere, preclamizzare, promuovere, pubblicizzare
Русскийпродвига́ть prodvigátʹ, прота́лкивать protálkivatʹ

verb intransitive: to tense the muscles of the abdomen in order to expel its contents

Españolpujar
Portuguêscontrair
Deutschdrücken
Русскийту́житься túžitʹsja

verb computing: to publish an update, etc. by transmitting it to other computers

Tiếng Việtchuyển giao, đẩy lên

noun short, directed application of force; act of pushing

Españolempujón, empuje, empujo
Portuguêsempurrão
Françaispoussée
DeutschSchubs, Stoß
Italianospinta
Русскийтолчо́к tolčók
العربيةدَفْعَة dafʕa

noun act of tensing the muscles of the abdomen in order to expel its contents

Españolpujo
DeutschDruck
Italianospinta

noun great effort (to do something)

Españolempujón, empuje, empujo
Italianosprone, impulso

noun attempt to persuade someone

Italianoincoraggiamento, incentivo

Talk about this word

Cite this
MLA

"push." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/push. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

push. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/push

Chicago

"push." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/push.

BibTeX
@misc{push_2026,
  title = {push},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/push},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}