Pushes

How to spell pushes

6 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce pushes

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does pushes mean?

1. verbApplies force to move something away or forward, or urges someone toward an action.
2. nounMore than one act of pressing forward or one concerted effort or campaign.

Pushes in a sentence

• verb

  She pushes the heavy trolley toward the loading dock every morning.

• noun

  The charity ran two separate fundraising pushes before the holidays.

• verb

  The manager constantly pushes the team to hit tighter deadlines.

• noun

  A few firm pushes on the lever finally released the jammed gear.

Where does pushes come from?

Language of origin: French

The base word push entered English in the 1300s from Old French pousser, meaning 'to thrust, to drive, to press', which itself descended from Latin pulsare, 'to beat, strike, or push repeatedly'. That Latin verb was a frequentative of pellere, meaning 'to drive or set in motion', the same root that lies behind words like 'compel', 'expel', and 'pulse'. The literal sense of applying steady force survived intact into English, and the figurative sense of urging or pressuring a person developed soon after. The form 'pushes' simply adds the regular -es ending used after a word ending in the 'sh' sound, which is why the spelling gains a syllable rather than a bare -s.

How the word is built

• push (to press forward)
• -es (third person singular / plural inflection)