push

A2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /pʊʃ/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like puss /s/ vs /ʃ/

noun verb Freq #1053

Meanings

1

verb
To press against something or someone to move it away from you.

She pushed the door open and walked inside.
2

verb
To strongly encourage or urge someone to do something.

My teacher pushed me to apply for the scholarship.
3

noun
The act of pressing against something to move it.

The car wouldn't start, so we gave it a push.
4

noun
A determined effort to achieve or advance something.

The company made a big push to win new customers.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

3 noun · the act of pressing against... pushingthrust

Word family

Forms pushedpushespushing

Derived forms bellpushcounterpushoctopushoverpushpush-pennypush-pinpush-pollpush-pollingpush-scrollingpush-startpush-throughpushlet

Common collocations

Etymology

From Middle English pushen, poshen, posson, borrowed from Middle French pousser (Modern French pousser) from Old French poulser, from Latin pulsare (“to beat, strike”), frequentative of pellere (past participle pulsus). Doublet of pulsate and pulse (verb). Partly displaced native Old English sċūfan, whence Modern English shove.

*pel- (beat) Proto-Indo-European pushen Middle English pousser Middle French pulsare Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

# push

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** pʊʃ
**Frequency rank:** 1053

## Meanings
1. To press against something or someone to move it away from you.
2. To strongly encourage or urge someone to do something.
3. The act of pressing against something to move it.
4. A determined effort to achieve or advance something.

## Examples
- She pushed the door open and walked inside.
- My teacher pushed me to apply for the scholarship.
- The car wouldn't start, so we gave it a push.
- The company made a big push to win new customers.

## Derived Forms
- bellpush
- counterpush
- octopush
- overpush
- push-penny
- push-pin
- push-poll
- push-polling
- push-scrolling
- push-start
- push-through
- pushlet

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *pel- (beat)
- Root: pushen
- Root: pousser
- Root: pulsare

## Etymology
From Middle English pushen, poshen, posson, borrowed from Middle French pousser (Modern French pousser) from Old French poulser, from Latin pulsare (“to beat, strike”), frequentative of pellere (past participle pulsus). Doublet of pulsate and pulse (verb). Partly displaced native Old English sċūfan, whence Modern English shove.

## AI Etymology
Push comes from Middle English pushen, poshen, posson, borrowed from Middle French pousser (Modern French pousser) from Old French poulser, from Latin pulsare (“to beat, strike”), frequentative of pellere (past participle pulsus). Doublet of pulsate and pulse (verb). Partly displaced native Old English sċūfan, whence Modern English shove. In present-day English it covers to press against something or someone to move it away from you, to strongly encourage or urge someone to do something, and the act of pressing against something to move it. The wider family includes derived forms such as bellpush, counterpush, octopush, overpush, push-penny.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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push

Meanings

Thesaurus

Common collocations

Etymology

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