onrush C2+ Topic:Space, Position & Direction US /ˈɑnrʌʃ/ UK /ˈɒnrʌʃ/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 noun a sudden surging or forward rush of something The onrush of floodwater swept away the makeshift footbridge. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 noun · a sudden surging or forward... surgerushonslaughtfloodtorrentstampedecharge ↔ Opposites retreatebbrecessiontrickle Word family Derived forms onrushing Related forms rushonsetonslaught Etymology AI details A 19th-century English compound of the adverb/preposition 'on' plus 'rush', denoting a forward surging movement. on Old English View etymology graph -> Topics Space, Position & Direction External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # onrush **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** noun **IPA (US):** /ˈɑnrʌʃ/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈɒnrʌʃ/ ## Meanings 1. a sudden surging or forward rush of something ## Examples - The onrush of floodwater swept away the makeshift footbridge. ## Synonyms - surge - rush - onslaught - flood - torrent - stampede - charge ## Antonyms - retreat - ebb - recession - trickle ## Derived Forms - onrushing ## Related Forms - rush - onset - onslaught ## Roots and Affixes - Root: on ## Etymology A 19th-century English compound of the adverb/preposition 'on' plus 'rush', denoting a forward surging movement. ## AI Etymology Onrush is a 19th-century English compound of the adverb/preposition 'on' plus 'rush', denoting a forward surging movement. Important recorded forms include on (Old English). Morphologically, the ending or combining element turns the older base into the present English part of speech. The modern sense follows that older lexical line closely. In current use it covers a sudden surging or forward rush of something. The wider family includes derived forms such as onrushing and related words such as rush, onset, and onslaught. ## Topics - Space, Position & Direction markdown