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push
[ poosh ]
verb (used with object)
- to press upon or against (a person or thing):
He pushed the doorbell a few times and heard it ring.
You have to push the door open, not pull it.
- to move (something or someone) in a specified way by exerting force; shove; drive:
Just push the footstool aside if it's in your way.
- to make (one's way) by thrusting obstacles aside:
She pushed her way through the crowd.
Synonyms: shoulder
- to cause to extend or project; thrust:
She pushed her arms into the robe's sleeves and straightened the lapels.
- to press or urge to some action or course:
His mother pushed him to get a job.
- to press (an action, proposal, etc.) with energy and insistence:
Legislators are redoubling their efforts to push a bill through Congress that would provide aid to struggling restaurant owners.
- to carry (an action or thing) toward a conclusion or extreme:
She pushed the project to completion.
You're pushing your analogy to the point of absurdity.
- to press the adoption, use, sale, etc., of:
The sales associates here are aggressive and push inferior merchandise on customers.
- to press or bear hard upon, as in dealings with someone:
The prosecutor pushed him for an answer.
- to put into difficulties because of the lack of something specified (usually followed by for ):
I'd love to stay and chat, but I'm really pushed for time.
- Slang. to peddle (illicit drugs).
- Informal. to be approaching a specific age, speed, or the like:
The maestro is pushing ninety-two.
- Photography. to modify (film processing) to compensate for underexposure.
verb (used without object)
- to exert a thrusting force upon something:
Even if you push hard on the shelf, there's no give, thanks to its sturdy construction.
- to use steady force in moving a thing away; shove:
If you push while I steer, I think we can get the car out of the rut.
- to make one's way with effort or persistence, as against difficulty or opposition:
She pushed through the trees and came to a small clearing.
- to extend or project; thrust:
The point of land pushed far out into the sea.
- to put forth vigorous or persistent efforts:
If you really push, you might be a partner in the law firm within a few years.
- Slang. to sell illicit drugs.
- to move when pushed:
We swapped that heavy sliding door for a swinging door that pushes easily.
noun
- the act of pushing; a shove or thrust:
She gave the toy car a quick push, and it sailed off the ramp.
- a vigorous onset or effort:
He didn't get the start he wanted in the race and had to make a push to catch up.
- a determined advance against opposition, obstacles, etc.:
One last push, and we'll be finished with the project.
- a vigorous and determined military attack or campaign:
The big push began in April, when the troops were all gathered and equipped.
- the pressure of circumstances, activities, etc.
- Digital Technology. push notification ( def ).
- Informal. persevering energy; enterprise:
You have the push, but you also need to sustain that energy for political commitment.
- Informal. a crowd or company of people.
- British. dismissal from a job; sack.
- Australian Slang. a gang of hoodlums.
adjective
- relating to or being a device, part, etc., that is powered, operated, or characterized by pushing:
In push mode, the execution and delivery of the Web view are asynchronous, so the Web view can be returned to the client later.
A small lawn can be tended with a push mower, but this quickly becomes impractical for larger ones.
verb phrase
- to press forward; continue; proceed:
The pioneers, despite overwhelming obstacles, pushed on across the plains.
- to treat contemptuously and unfairly; bully:
She's not the kind of person who can be pushed around.
- Informal. to go away; depart:
We stopped in Denver for the night and were ready to push off again the following morning.
- to make the date or time of (an event) later than originally planned.
- to oppose or resist a plan, action, statement, etc.:
The board members are starting to push back against criticism from the public.
push
/ pʊʃ /
verb
- whentr, often foll by off, away, etc to apply steady force to (something) in order to move it
- to thrust (one's way) through something, such as a crowd, by force
- whenintr,often foll by for to apply oneself vigorously (to achieving a task, plan, etc)
- tr to encourage or urge (a person) to some action, decision, etc
- whenintr,often foll by for to be an advocate or promoter (of)
to push for acceptance of one's theories
- tr to use one's influence to help (a person)
to push one's own candidate
- to bear upon (oneself or another person) in order to achieve more effort, better results, etc
she was a woman who liked to push her husband
- tr to take undue risks, esp through overconfidence, thus risking failure
to push one's luck
- intr to act overconfidently
- sport to hit (a ball) with a stiff pushing stroke
- informal.tr to sell (narcotic drugs) illegally
- intr; foll by out, into, etc (esp of geographical features) to reach or extend
the cliffs pushed out to the sea
- tr to overdevelop (a photographic film), usually by the equivalent of up to two stops, to compensate for underexposure or increase contrast
- push up daisies or push up the daisies slang.to be dead and buried
noun
- the act of pushing; thrust
- a part or device that is pressed to operate some mechanism
- informal.ambitious or enterprising drive, energy, etc
- informal.a special effort or attempt to advance, as of an army in a war
to make a push
- informal.a number of people gathered in one place, such as at a party
- slang.a group or gang, esp one considered to be a clique
- sport a stiff pushing stroke
- at a push informal.with difficulty; only just
- the push informal.dismissal, esp from employment
- when push comes to shove informal.when matters become critical; when a decision needs to be made
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Other Words From
- out·push verb (used with object)
- un·pushed adjective
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Word History and Origins
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Word History and Origins
Origin of push1
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Idioms and Phrases
- when / if push comes to shove, when or if matters are ultimately confronted or resolved; when or if a problem must be faced; in a crucial situation:
If push comes to shove, the government will impose quotas on imports.
- push one's luck. luck ( def 12 ).
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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