Meaning of push in English

1. Pronunciation

   /pʊʃ/

   US accent

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   UK accent

   How to pronounce push in British English, in context ▾
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1. Verb

   push

   Etymology

   Middle English (as a verb): from Old French pousser, from Latin pulsare‘to push, beat, pulse’ (see pulse). The early sense was ‘exert force on’, giving rise later to ‘make a strenuous effort, endeavor’

   Definitions

   1. move with force, "He pushed the table into a corner"

   Antonyms

   • pull
   • draw
   • force
2. 2. press, drive, or impel (someone) to action or completion of an action

   Examples

   • « He pushed her to finish her doctorate »
3. 3. make publicity for

   Examples

   • « try to sell (a product) »
   • « The salesman is aggressively pushing the new computer model »
   • « The company is heavily advertizing their new laptops »
4. 4. strive and make an effort to reach a goal

   Examples

   • « She tugged for years to make a decent living »
   • « We have to push a little to make the deadline! »
   • « She is driving away at her doctoral thesis »
5. 5. press against forcefully without being able to move

   Examples

   • « she pushed against the wall with all her strength »
6. 6. approach a certain age or speed

   Examples

   • « She is pushing fifty »
7. 7. exert oneself continuously, vigorously, or obtrusively to gain an end or engage in a crusade for a certain cause or person

   Examples

   • « be an advocate for »
   • « The liberal party pushed for reforms »
   • « She is crusading for women's rights »
   • « The Dean is pushing for his fa »
8. 8. sell or promote the sale of (illegal goods such as drugs)

   Examples

   • « The guy hanging around the school is pushing drugs »
9. 9. move strenuously and with effort

   Examples

   • « The crowd pushed forward »
10. 10. make strenuous pushing movements during birth to expel the baby

    Examples

    • « 'Now push hard,' said the doctor to the woman »

11. Noun

    push

    Definitions

    1. the act of applying force in order to move something away

    Examples

    • « he gave the door a hard push »
    • « the pushing is good exercise »
12. 2. the force used in pushing

    Examples

    • « the push of the water on the walls of the tank »
    • « the thrust of the jet engines »
13. 3. enterprising or ambitious drive

    Examples

    • « Europeans often laugh at American energy »
14. 4. an electrical switch operated by pressing a button

    Examples

    • « the elevator was operated by push buttons »
    • « the push beside the bed operated a buzzer at the desk »
15. 5. an effort to advance

    Examples

    • « the army made a push toward the sea »