Meaning of push in English

push

verb

/pʊʃ/ us

/pʊʃ/

push verb (USE PRESSURE)

to use physical pressure or force, especially with your hands, in order to move something into a different position, usually one that is further away from you:

Can you help me move this table? You push and I'll pull.

The window sticks - you have to push hard to open it.

He helped me push my car off the road.

He pushed his plate away from him, refusing to eat any more.

She pushed her hair out of her eyes.

I tried to push the door open but it was stuck.

It isn't clear whether he fell off the balcony or was pushed.

To turn the television on, you just push (= press) this button.

He pushed the money into my hand (= forcefully gave me the money), saying, "Please take it."

We pushed the boat off from (= moved the boat forward by using pressure against) the river bank.

More examplesFewer examples

Our car broke down and we had to push it off the road.
Why will supermarket trolleys never move in the direction that you push them?
I pushed the wheelchair up the ramp and into the supermarket.
The wind was pushing the boat further and further out to sea.
If we push the table back against the wall, we'll have more room.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Pushing and shoving

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push verb (MOVE WITH FORCE)

B1 [ I or T, usually + adv/prep ]

to move forcefully, especially in order to cause someone or something that is in your way to move, so that you can go through or past them:

Stop pushing - wait your turn.

She pushed through the crowd.

I'm sorry - I didn't mean to push in front of you.

The celebrities pushed past the waiting journalists, refusing to speak to them.

In the final lap of the race, he managed to push (= move strongly) ahead.

Weeds push (= grow strongly) up through the cracks in the concrete.

They pushed (= forcefully made) their way to the front.

[ I usually + adv/prep ]

When an army pushes in a particular direction, it moves forward in that direction:

The invading troops have pushed further into the north of the country.

More examplesFewer examples

I tried to push past her but she barred my way.
In the end she used brute force to push him out.
The children were pushing and jostling in the line.
As he went by, he deliberately pushed me.
We managed to push our way through the crowd.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Pushing and shoving

See more results »

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Advancing and moving forward

Attacking & invading

push verb (PERSUADE WITH FORCE)

B2 [ T ]

to forcefully persuade or direct someone to do or achieve something:

Her parents pushed her into marrying him.

The school manages to push most of its students through their exams.

If we want an answer from them by Friday, I think we're going to have to push them for it.

[ + to infinitive ] We had to push them to accept our terms, but they finally agreed to the deal.

You'll never be successful if you don't push yourself (= work) harder.

More examplesFewer examples

I don't think he really wants to go, he's been pushed into it.
The police have finally pushed her into testifying against him.
She'll have to push herself if she wants to pass the exam.
I try not to push my kids too hard, it only puts them off.
She's pushed her body to the absolute limit and now she's exhausted.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Urging & persuading

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push verb (ADVERTISE)

[ T ] informal

to advertise something repeatedly in order to increase its sales:

They're really pushing their new car.

More examplesFewer examples

They're really pushing that new toothpaste.
During the interview she used every opportunity to push her latest novel.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Advertising and marketing

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push verb (SELL DRUGS)

[ T ] informal

to sell illegal drugs:

He was arrested for pushing drugs to schoolchildren.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Drugs - general words

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push verb (INTERNET)

[ T ] internet & telecoms specialized

to send information over the internet without receiving a request for it first

Compare

pull verb (INTERNET) specialized

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Internet terminology

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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Advertising and marketing

Idioms

be pushing up (the) daisies
push your luck
push the boat out

Phrasal verbs

push someone around
push ahead
push along
push someone/something aside
push something back
push for something
push (something) forward
push yourself forward
push in
push off

More phrasal verbs

push on
push someone out
push someone/something over
push something through
push (someone) toward(s) something
push something up/down

push

noun

/pʊʃ/ us

/pʊʃ/

push noun (PRESSURE)

B1 [ C ]

the act of moving someone or something by pressing them with your hands or body:

Get on the swing and I'll give you a push.

I gave the door a hard push, but it still wouldn't open.

I can order all these goods at the push of a button (= by pushing a button).

More examplesFewer examples

They had to give the car a push to start it.
Go on - give it a good hard push!
You can't expect to get everything you need at the push of a button.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Pushing and shoving

See more results »

push noun (STRONG MOVEMENT)

[ C ]

a strong movement towards a place:

The army is continuing its push (= advance) towards the capital.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Advancing and moving forward

See more results »

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Attacking & invading

push noun (ATTEMPT)

[ C ]

a determined attempt to get an advantage over other companies in business:

The company plans to make a big push into the European market next spring.

[ + to infinitive ] The hotel is making a major push to attract customers.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Effort and expending energy

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push noun (ENCOURAGEMENT)

C1 [ S ]

encouragement to make someone do something:

My mother had always wanted to learn how to paint - she just needed a gentle push.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Encouraging and urging on

See more results »

push noun (ADVERTISING)

[ S ]

a lot of advertising:

This film is unlikely to attract large audiences unless it gets/it is given a big push in the media.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Advertising and marketing

See more results »

Idioms

at a push
get the push
give someone the push
if/when push comes to shove

(Definition of push from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

push | American Dictionary

push

verb

/pʊʃ/

push verb (USE FORCE AGAINST)

Add to word list Add to word list

[ I/T ]

to put a continuing force against something to cause it to move forward or away from you:

[ I ] We should be able to move this table if we both push together.

[ T ] She pushed her plate away.

[ I/T ]

To push is also to cause something to move or change in a stated direction:

[ M ] Rising demand tends to push prices up.

push verb (MOVE FORCEFULLY)

[ I/T ]

to move forcefully through a group of people or things:

[ I ] Stop pushing and wait your turn!

[ T always + adv/prep ] Rescuers pushed their way through the rubble to reach survivors.

push verb (PERSUADE FORCEFULLY)

[ T ]

to try to persuade someone forcefully to do or accept something:

She’s pushing me for an answer.

The administration is pushing its new trade agreement with Mexico.

infml This restaurant is pushing its carrot soup today (= trying to get people to order it).

Phrasal verbs

push someone around
push back something
push for something
push off
push on

push

noun [ C ]

/pʊʃ/

push noun [C] (FORCEFUL MOVEMENT)

a force put or pressed against something that causes it to move forward or away from you:

She gave her daughter a push on the swing.

push noun [C] (FORCEFUL PERSUASION)

an attempt to persuade someone forcefully to do or accept something:

[ + to infinitive ] Florida is making a major push to attract more tourists.

Idiom

when push comes to shove

(Definition of push from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

push | Business English

push

verb

/pʊʃ/ us

Add to word list Add to word list

[ I or T ]

to press a switch or something similar:

When I push the 'call' button, my phone makes a strange noise.

[ T ]

to force someone to move away from a place:

Small farmers are saying they have been pushed off their land by the supermarket.

[ T ]

to try hard to make someone do what you want, especially when they do not really want to do it:

She feels the sales rep pushed her into buying the vehicle.

push sb for sth If we want an answer from them by Friday, I think we're going to have to push them for it.

push sb to do sth We had to push them to accept our terms, but they finally agreed to the deal.

push yourself

to use a lot of effort and determination to achieve something:

You'll never be successful if you don't push yourself.

[ T ] MARKETING informal

to try hard to make people buy something, especially by advertising it repeatedly:

We need to really push this product in the spring, ready for the summer season.

be pushed for time

to not have much time to do something:

If you're pushed for time, we could meet tomorrow instead.

Phrasal verbs

push ahead
push sth back
push sth down
push for sth
push sth out
push sth through
push sth up

push

noun

/pʊʃ/ us

[ S ] MARKETING

an effort to make something more successful, for example by advertising it a lot or giving it extra money:

The event is part of a major push by the hotel to attract customers.

get a push This film is unlikely to attract large audiences unless it gets a big push in the media.

give sth a push This is an economy that needs the Fed to step in and give it a push.

[ C ]

a determined effort to get an advantage over other companies in business:

make a push into sth The company plans to make a big push into the European market next spring.

give sb the push

WORKPLACE, HR UK informal

to tell someone that they no longer have a job, especially because they have done something wrong:

I have no idea why they gave me the push.

get the push

WORKPLACE, HR UK informal

to be told that you no longer have a job, especially because you have done something wrong:

Sounds like he hasn't come to terms with getting the push.

(Definition of push from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of push

push

However, it is hard to push the analysis of the random process to the very end using differential equations.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

However, these new workers in the city demand the agricultural good, pushing the price higher, and reducing the real wage further.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

When she described being removed from a train by the police and pushed to the floor, one could sense the intensity of the personal insult.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

When they push a case continuation framework, they save in the stack the free variables needed by the continuation expression.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The effect of downregulating the signalling pathways is to push deterioration back in time, not to prevent it.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The clinicians' difficulties are further compounded by the older adult often having internalised the media version, so pushing down and distorting their own experiences.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

On financial services, the policy initiative was in the hands of the corporate lobbyists who pushed for a project which was eventually implemented.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

One disadvantage of this method is that the outputs are then pushed toward final states, which creates a long delay in emission.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Or does the radicle elongate to the extent of pushing against the endosperm before endosperm degradation begins?

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Near the downstream boundaries of large structures, parts of small structures are pushed downwards towards the centreline of the wake (figure 14b).

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Merchant-dominated organizations (like the municipality) were likewise pushed aside, either through ruling-family appointments to their leadership or outright sequestration.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The push-pull model of relocation decisions suggests that an older person exercises choice among various options.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Alternative agendas pushed forward by non 'visually skilled' citizens have none of their resonance.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

I am afraid this is pushing the point too far.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

However, the 'land to the tiller' script was still powerful enough to dissuade the parties from pushing through the change fearing a political backlash.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

See all examples of push

These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.

Collocations with push

push

These are words often used in combination with push.

Click on a collocation to see more examples of it.

big push

The local authorities need a big push.

From the

Hansard archive

Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0

extra push

The extra push would change the impact on the one so that both person and trolley remain stationary.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

final push

From there, it is a matter of just a final push.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

See all collocations with push

What is the pronunciation of push?

Translations of push

in Chinese (Traditional)

施壓, 推，推動, 推擠…

in Chinese (Simplified)

施压, 推，推动, 推挤…

in Spanish

empujar, abrirse camino, apremiar a alguien para que haga algo…

in Portuguese

empurrar, pressionar alguém a fazer algo, empurrão…

in more languages

in Marathi

in Japanese

in Turkish

in French

in Catalan

in Dutch

in Tamil

in Hindi

in Gujarati

in Danish

in Swedish

in Malay

in German

in Norwegian

in Urdu

in Ukrainian

in Russian

in Telugu

in Arabic

in Bengali

in Czech

in Indonesian

in Thai

in Vietnamese

in Polish

in Korean

in Italian

ढकलणे, दूर सारणे / आपल्यापासून एखादी गोष्ट दूर करण्यासाठी, विशेषतः हातांनी शारीरिक जोर लावून ती दूर सारणे.…

（手や体で）～を押す, 突く, （ボタンなど）を押す…

itmek, ite kaka ilerlemek, ite kaka yol açmak…

pousser, appuyer sur, entraîner…

empènyer, prémer, obrir-se camí…

duwen, druk uitoefenen, pushen…

உடல் அழுத்தம் அல்லது சக்தியைப் பயன்படுத்த, குறிப்பாக உங்கள் கைகளால், எதையாவது வேறு நிலைக்கு நகர்த்துவதற்காக…

(विशेषतः हाथ से) धकेलना, (किसी से आगे जाने के लिए उसे) धक्का देना, दबाव डालना…

ધક્કો મારવો, હડસેલવું, આગ્રહ કરવો…

skubbe, mase sig igennem, presse…

knuffa[s], tränga sig fram, driva på…

menolak, mendesak, mengedar dadah…

stoßen, drängen, mit Drogen handeln…

dytte, skyve, trykke på…

دھکا دینا, دھکیلنا, ہٹانا…

штовхати, просувати, підганяти…

толкать, пихать, проталкиваться…

తొయ్యడం, బలవంతంగా కదిలించు, ప్రత్యేకించి మీ మార్గంలో ఉన్న ఎవరినైనా లేదా దేనినైనా మీరు దాని గుండా వెళ్లడానికి లేదా దానిని /వారిని దాటడానికి కదిలేలా చేయు…

يَدْفَع, يَضْغَط, يَدفَع…

ধাক্কা দেওয়া, ঠেলে সরিয়ে দেওয়া, ধাক্কা দিয়ে সরিয়ে দেওয়া…

tlačit (se), protlačit (se), strčit…

mendorong, mendesak, menjual secara ilegal…

ผลัก, ผลักดัน, ขายอย่างผิดกฏหมาย…

đẩy, thúc giục, bán hàng lậu…