rush

The word “rush” means to hurry or do something very quickly, sometimes carelessly. In plain terms, to hurry, or a sudden surge of activity or feeling; also, a name for a marsh plant, an unrelated sense from a different word history.

“Rush” is pronounced ruhsh (/ɹʌʃ/ in IPA).

Here is “rush” used in a sentence: “She rushed through breakfast to catch the early train.”

Words with a similar meaning to “rush” include fly, scramble, get a move on, hasten, haul and hurtle.

Depending on how it is used, “rush” can be a verb and a noun.

The word “rush” comes from Old English. Likely from Middle English ruschen ("to make a rushing noise"), from Old English hrysċan, related to Proto-Germanic roots meaning "fast, quick.".

“Rush” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

“Rush” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to hurry or do something very quickly, sometimes carelessly.

Both mean to move or act quickly, and they are often interchangeable. Rush suggests greater urgency and speed, and can hint at carelessness or being swept along. Hurry is a little gentler and more neutral. You might hurry to catch a bus, but rush a job and make mistakes.

Not always, but the word often carries that warning. Rushing simply means doing something very fast, yet because haste can cause slips, "rushing" frequently implies too little care or thought. "Don't rush it" usually means slow down and do it properly, so the term leans mildly negative.

"We had to rush to finish before the deadline" shows acting at speed under pressure. "Don't rush me" asks someone to stop hurrying you along. "Paramedics rushed him to hospital" stresses urgent speed. In each case, rush marks fast action, sometimes with a sense of pressure.