gush
verb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
noun
OTHER WORDS FROM gush
gush·ing·ly, adverb out·gush, verb (used with object) un·gush·ing, adjectiveWords nearby gush
VOCAB BUILDER
What does gush mean?
To gush is to flow forcefully and rapidly. Water gushes out of a firehose. Gush can also be used as a noun referring to such a flow.
Gush also commonly means to talk about a particular thing in an emotional, enthusiastic, unreserved way. When used this way, it is often phrased as gush about or gush over.
Example: I’m sorry to keep gushing about my baby cousin, but she’s just so adorable!
Where does gush come from?
The first records of gush come from around the 1400s. It comes from Middle English, but there are similar words in several other languages. Gush may have been formed through onomatopoeia, in which the word itself sounds like what it describes. In this case, the whooshing sound of rushing water.
Gush almost sounds like a combination of gust and rush, and both are used in similar ways, but the literal sense of gush is typically only applied to liquids. It emphasizes that the flow of a liquid is fast and strong: the water wasn’t just pouring out, it was gushing! You never want blood to gush from a wound. This sense can also be used figuratively, as in Our product is selling out, and the money is gushing in.
In the sense of showing unrestrained enthusiasm when talking about something, gush is typically used when someone is talking about a topic they’re passionate about and they simply can’t stop themselves from saying positive things about it. People often apologize for gushing after giving a person they admire a lot of compliments upon meeting them for the first time.
Did you know ... ?
How is gush used in real life?
Gush is most commonly used in the context of a strong torrent of water. Its other main use can be seen as the action of unleashing a flood of enthusiasm or adoration.
A pipe burst in our road at about 12pm today, water was gushing out so much that it filled a 150L container in less than a minute. It only got closed now, almost FIVE HOURS LATER 😭 Remind me again how the city is doing everything it can to save water 🙂
— Azrah (@azz_ismail) January 30, 2018
Am I one of the few who do not gush over engagements or marriages? Like yeah, congrats on your engagement or marriage! But what comes after is more important, and won’t be all butterflies & flowers down the road.
— Caitlin (@Caitlinkins) March 22, 2020
I guess that eight week stretch when we were all gushing over Baby Yoda was something of an anomaly.
— Mike G (@goedharted) April 2, 2020
Try using gush!
Is gush used correctly in the following sentence?
When the dam broke, the water came gushing through in a wild rush.