Meaning & use
pushy
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Meaning
adjectivecomparabledisapproving
Too forceful in pressing people to do or buy what you want, in a way that annoys them.
Grammar: Works before or after a verb: a pushy salesman; he is pushy. Comparative pushier.
Patterns
- pushy about something
- a pushy salesperson
The pushy salesman followed us around the store.
I did not want to seem pushy, so I only asked once.
Her pushy manner made the neighbors avoid her.
Word forms
| comparative | pushier |
|---|---|
| superlative | pushiest |
Common combinations
- pushy salesman
- A pushy salesman rang the bell twice.
- pushy parent
- The coach disliked pushy parents on the sidelines.
- a bit pushy
- I hope I wasn't a bit pushy.
- pushy about
- He gets pushy about deadlines.
- come across as pushy
- Try not to come across as pushy in an interview.
Synonyms and how they differ
- aggressive
- Aggressive can sound hostile or can be admiring in business, while pushy is almost always critical.
- assertive
- Assertive is usually positive and respectful, whereas pushy ignores the other person's wishes.
- overbearing
- Overbearing suggests dominating others with power, a stronger and more formal idea than pushy.
- forward
- Forward means too bold socially, but is milder than pushy.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: pushy or assertive?
pushy vs assertive
Assertive describes confidently stating needs while respecting others; pushy goes too far and annoys people.
Practice
I like the new agent because she is confident but never ______.
Choose one answer.
Never pushy contrasts with confident. The other options are positive or neutral traits and would not contrast with confidence in the same way.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “pushy”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.