Definition of 'push'
Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular present tense pushes, present participle pushing, past tense, past participle pushed
1. transitive verb/intransitive verb
When you push something, you use force to make it move away from you or away from its previous
position.
2. transitive verb/intransitive verb
If you push through things that are blocking your way or push your way through them, you use force in order to move past them.
3. intransitive verb
If an army pushes into a country or area that it is attacking or invading, it moves further into it.
4. transitive verb
5. transitive verb
6. transitive verb
If you push someone to do something or push them into doing it, you encourage or force them to do it.
7. intransitive verb
8. transitive verb
9. transitive verb
When someone pushes drugs, they sell them illegally.
[informal]10. See also pushed
Phrasal verbs:
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
British English pronunciation
American English pronunciation
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Word Frequency
push in American English
verb transitive
1.
a.
to exert pressure or force against, esp. so as to move
b.
to move in this way
c.
to thrust, shove, or drive (up, down, in, out, etc.)
2.
a.
to urge on; impel; press
b.
to follow up vigorously; promote (a campaign, claim, etc.)
c.
to extend or expand (business activities, etc.)
4.
to urge or promote the use, sale, success, etc. of
5. US, Informal
to be near or close to
pushing seventy years of age
6. US, Baseball, Golf
to hit (the ball) and make it go to the right or, if one is left-handed, to the left
verb intransitive
7.
to press against a thing so as to move it
8.
to put forth great effort, as in seeking advancement
9.
to move forward against opposition
10.
to move by being pushed
noun
11.
the act of pushing
12.
a thing to be pushed so as to work a mechanism
13.
a vigorous effort, campaign, etc.
14.
an advance against opposition
15.
pressure of affairs or of circumstances
16.
an emergency
17. Informal
aggressiveness; enterprise; drive
Idioms:
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word Frequency
push in American English
(puʃ)
transitive verb
1.
to press upon or against (a thing) with force in order to move it away
2.
to move (something) in a specified way by exerting force; shove; drive
to push something aside
to push the door open
4.
to cause to extend or project; thrust
5.
to press or urge to some action or course
His mother pushed him to get a job
7.
to carry (an action or thing) toward a conclusion or extreme
She pushed the project to completion
8.
to press the adoption, use, sale, etc., of
to push inferior merchandise on customers
10. (usually fol. by for)
to put into difficulties because of the lack of something specified
to be pushed for time
intransitive verb
14.
to exert a thrusting force upon something
15.
to use steady force in moving a thing away; shove
16.
to make one's way with effort or persistence, as against difficulty or opposition
17.
to extend or project; thrust
The point of land pushed far out into the sea
18.
to put forth vigorous or persistent efforts
19. slang
to sell illicit drugs
20.
to move on being pushed
a swinging door that pushes easily
21. See push around
22. See push off
23. See push on
24. See push one's luck
noun
SYNONYMS 3. shoulder. 5. persuade, impel.25.
the act of pushing; a shove or thrust
26.
a contrivance or part to be pushed in order to operate a mechanism
27.
a vigorous onset or effort
28.
a determined advance against opposition, obstacles, etc.
29.
a vigorous and determined military attack or campaign
The big push began in April
30.
the pressure of circumstances, activities, etc.
32. informal
a crowd or company of people
34. Austral slang
a gang of hoodlums
35. See when push comes to shove
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Word origin
[1250–1300; ME pushen, poshen, posson (v.) ‹ MF pousser, OF po(u)lser ‹ L pulsāre. See pulsate]Word Frequency
push in British English
verb
3. (when intr,often foll by for)
to apply oneself vigorously (to achieving a task, plan, etc)
5. (when intr,often foll by for)
to be an advocate or promoter (of)
to push for acceptance of one's theories
6. (transitive)
to use one's influence to help (a person)
to push one's own candidate
7.
to bear upon (oneself or another person) in order to achieve more effort, better results, etc
we need to push these children harder
8.
a. (transitive)
to push one's luck
11. (intr; foll by out, into, etc)
(esp of geographical features) to reach or extend
the cliffs pushed out to the sea
12. (transitive)
to overdevelop (a photographic film), usually by the equivalent of up to two stops, to compensate for underexposure or increase contrast
13. See push up daisies
noun
14.
the act of pushing; thrust
15.
a part or device that is pressed to operate some mechanism
17. informal
a special effort or attempt to advance, as of an army in a war
to make a push
20. sport
a stiff pushing stroke
21. See at a push
22. See the push
23. See when push comes to shove
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word origin
C13: from Old French pousser, from Latin pulsāre, from pellere to drive
Examples of 'push' in a sentence
push
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In other languages
push
British English: push
/pʊʃ/ VERB
When you push something, you press it in order to move it away from you.
I pushed back my chair and stood up.
- American English: push /ˈpʊʃ/
- Arabic: يَدْفَع
- Brazilian Portuguese: empurrar
- Chinese: 推动
- Croatian: gurati
- Czech: tlačit
- Danish: skubbe
- Dutch: duwen
- European Spanish: empujar
- Finnish: työntää
- French: pousser
- German: schieben
- Greek: σπρώχνω
- Italian: spingere
- Japanese: 押す
- Korean: ...을 밀다
- Norwegian: dytte
- Polish: pchnąć
- European Portuguese: empurrar
- Romanian: a împinge
- Russian: толкать
- Spanish: empujar
- Swedish: skjuta fösa
- Thai: ผลัก
- Turkish: itmek
- Ukrainian: штовхати
- Vietnamese: đẩy
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push
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Definition of push from the Collins English Dictionary
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