Meaning & use
rushing
Last updated
“rushing” is a form of “rush”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbintransitive
moving or doing something very quickly, often because there is little time.
Grammar: Used as the -ing form of "rush"; it describes an ongoing action and takes no object here: She is rushing to catch the bus.
Patterns
- be rushing
- be rushing to do something
- be rushing around
Sorry I can't talk — I'm rushing to get to class.
They were rushing through the airport with their bags.
Everyone was rushing to finish before the shops closed.
verbtransitive
carrying or sending someone or something somewhere very quickly.
Grammar: Takes an object: rush a patient to hospital; in the -ing form, rushing the order to the customer.
Patterns
- be rushing someone to somewhere
- be rushing something to someone
- be rushing something through
The doctors were rushing the injured man to the operating room.
We're rushing the replacement parts to your address today.
The council is rushing the new rules through before the election.
adjectivebefore a noun
moving very fast, or happening with great speed and urgency.
Grammar: Comes before a noun and is not usually compared: a rushing stream; rushing water.
Patterns
- rushing water
- rushing wind
- a rushing sound
We could hear rushing water behind the trees.
A rushing wind blew the leaves across the road.
She stood still while the rushing crowd went past her.
noununcountable
the act of moving or doing something with too much speed and hurry.
Grammar: Uncountable, so it has no plural and usually takes no article: There was a lot of rushing.
Patterns
- a lot of rushing
- the rushing of something
There was so much rushing this morning that I forgot my keys.
All that rushing around left her exhausted.
Word forms
| base form | rush |
|---|---|
| third person singular | rushes |
| past tense | rushed |
| past participle | rushed |
| -ing form | rushing |
Common combinations
- rushing around
- He spent the whole morning rushing around the city on errands.
- rushing to do something
- They were rushing to pack before the taxi arrived.
- rushing water
- The sound of rushing water filled the valley.
- in a rush
- I wrote the email in a rush, so please check it.
- rush hour
- Trains are always crowded during rush hour.
Synonyms and how they differ
- hurrying
- Very close in meaning, but "hurrying" often suggests a purposeful, steady speed rather than the panicky speed of "rushing".
- dashing
- Suggests short, sudden bursts of fast movement, while "rushing" can describe a longer period of haste.
- racing
- Often used for the heart or thoughts moving fast, whereas "rushing" is usually about people, vehicles, or water.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: rushing or rustling? rushing or crushing?
rushing vs rustling
"Rustling" means making a soft sound like dry leaves or paper, while "rushing" is about fast movement or water flowing quickly.
rushing vs crushing
"Crushing" means pressing something hard until it breaks; it sounds similar but has nothing to do with speed.
Practice
Which sentence uses "rushing" correctly?
Choose one answer.
"Rushing" as an -ing verb takes "to" before a purpose: rushing to catch the train. Option 2 wrongly makes the train the object of "rush," option 3 uses the wrong preposition, and option 4 contradicts the meaning of "rushing" with "slowly."
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “rushing”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.