push
gb/pˈʊʃ/ us/pˈʊʃ/
A1
English
~ 1100
tol, lök, ösztönöz, nyomást gyakorol, népszerűsít, erőltet, reklámoz, lökés, tolás, kitart, továbbhalad, átküzdi magát valamin
VERB
A1
1
Usage pattern:
to push [something/someone] [direction/place]
She pushed the door open with her shoulder.
A vállával tolva nyitotta ki az ajtót.
I had to push the heavy table across the room.
Át kellett tolnom a nehéz asztalt a szoba másik oldalára.
The crowd began to push toward the stage.
He pushed the box into the corner.
They pushed the car to the side of the road.
Learner examples
I pushed the door.
Megtoltam az ajtót.
She pushed the chair.
Arrébb tolta a széket.
We pushed the table.
He pushed the car.
They pushed the box.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'push' with 'pull', which is the opposite action.
Meaning
Move something away with force
Collocations
push a door
|push a cart
|push someone
|push forward
|push hard
Synonyms
shove (Implies a rougher or more sudden push)
Antonyms
pull (Means to move something toward oneself instead of away)
Themes
daily life
|movement
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To use your hands or body to make something move away from you.
To use physical force to move something or someone away from oneself or in a particular direction.
VERB
B1
2
ösztönöz
B2
Usage pattern:
to push [someone] to [do something]
The coach pushed the team to train harder.
Az edző keményebb edzésre ösztönözte a csapatot.
She pushed her son to apply for the scholarship.
Arra ösztönözte a fiát, hogy pályázza meg az ösztöndíjat.
They are pushing employees to work longer hours.
He pushed me to take the job offer.
Learner examples
My teacher pushed me to study.
A tanárom tanulásra ösztönzött.
She pushes her children to read.
Olvasásra ösztönzi a gyerekeit.
He pushed me to join the club.
They push us to work hard.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with physical pushing; context usually clarifies it.
Meaning
Urge someone to act
Collocations
push someone hard
|push for change
|push students
|push him to succeed
Synonyms
urge (Softer and more emotional encouragement)
Antonyms
discourage (Means to make someone less willing to do something)
Themes
communication
|motivation
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To try hard to make someone do something.
To strongly encourage, persuade, or pressure someone to do something.
VERB
B1
3
Usage pattern:
to push [a product/service/idea]
The company is pushing its new smartphone model this month.
A cég ebben a hónapban az új okostelefon-modelljét népszerűsíti.
Politicians often push their own agendas.
A politikusok gyakran a saját programjukat erőltetik.
Salespeople were pushing credit cards at the event.
Learner examples
The shop pushes new toys.
A bolt az új játékokat reklámozza.
They push this phone on TV.
Ezt a telefont reklámozzák a tévében.
He pushes his ideas at meetings.
Meaning
Promote or advertise actively
Collocations
push a product
|push a brand
|push an agenda
Synonyms
promote (More formal and general term for encouraging interest)
Antonyms
ignore (To pay no attention or give no promotion)
Themes
business
|marketing
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To try to make people buy or accept something.
To actively promote, advertise, or try to sell a product, service, or idea.
NOUN
A2
4
Give the door a push and it will open.
Adj egy lökést az ajtónak, és kinyílik.
It took a big push to start the car moving.
Egy nagy lökés kellett ahhoz, hogy az autó meginduljon.
With one final push, they got the piano inside.
Learner examples
I gave the door a push.
Adtam egy lökést az ajtónak.
He gave me a push.
Lökött rajtam egyet.
We gave the car a push.
Meaning
An act of moving something away
Collocations
give a push
|gentle push
|hard push
Synonyms
shove (Implies a rougher or more sudden movement)
Antonyms
pull (The opposite action of moving toward oneself)
Themes
daily life
|movement
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
The act of making something move away by using your hands or body.
An act of using force to move something away from oneself or in a particular direction.
VERB
B2
5
Usage pattern:
to push through [difficulty/obstacle]
She pushed through her fatigue to finish the race.
A fáradtsága ellenére is kitartott, és befejezte a versenyt.
They are pushing ahead with the project despite budget cuts.
A költségvetési megszorítások ellenére is továbbhaladnak a projekttel.
He pushed on, even though it was raining heavily.
Learner examples
I pushed through my homework.
Átküzdöttem magam a házi feladaton.
She pushes on when she is tired.
Akkor is kitart, amikor fáradt.
They push ahead with work.
Meaning
Keep going despite obstacles
Collocations
push through pain
|push ahead with plans
Synonyms
persevere (More formal and focused on persistence)
Antonyms
give up (To stop trying because it is too hard)
Themes
motivation
|personal development
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To keep going and trying even when it is hard.
To continue moving forward or making progress despite challenges or resistance.
Grammar
Dictionary form
push
IPA
GB/pˈʊʃ/
US/pˈʊʃ/
Syllables & stress
push (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (push)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: push
- Plural: push, pushes
Verb
- Base: push
- 3rd Person Singular: pushes
- Present Participle: pushing
- Past: pushed
Word family
Forms
pushes
noun
pushing
verb
pushed
verb
Related words
pushy
adjective
pusher
noun
Negative and opposite forms
pull
verb A1
Advanced or less common
pushiness
noun
Expressions
come to shove (when push comes to shove)
1/kˈʌm tə ʃˈʌv wˈɛn pˈʊʃ kˈʌmz tə ʃˈʌv/
idiom
informal
When action is necessary in crisis
When there is no choice but to act because things are serious.
Examples
- When push comes to shove, we will help you.
- If push comes to shove, we can borrow some money.
push ahead
1/pˈʊʃ əhˈɛd/
phrasal verb
Continue despite obstacles
To keep doing something even if it is hard or slow.
Examples
- We decided to push ahead with our plans despite the bad weather.
- They are pushing ahead on construction of the new bridge.
push for
1/pˈʊʃ fɚ/
phrasal verb
Work hard toward a goal
To try very hard to make something happen or be done.
Examples
- The union is pushing for higher wages.
- She is pushing for changes in the law.
push through
1/pˈʊʃ θɹˈu/
phrasal verb
Complete despite problems
To finish something even if it is hard or there are problems.
Examples
- He pushed through his illness to finish the match.
- The bill was pushed through parliament quickly.
push someone's buttons
1/pˈʊʃ sˈʌmwˌʌnz bˈʌtənz/
idiom
informal
Provoke someone's reaction on purpose
To do things that you know will make someone angry or upset.
Examples
- Stop pushing my buttons—you're making me mad!
- She knows how to push his buttons and make him mad.
- He knows exactly how to push her buttons.
- Don't push my buttons today—I'm already stressed.