Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense flushes, present participle flushing, past tense, past participle flushed
1. verb
If you flush, your face goes red because you are hot or ill, or because you are feeling a strong emotion such as embarrassment or anger.
Do you sweat a lot or flush a lot? [VERB]
He turned away embarrassed, his face flushing red. [V colour]
Synonyms: blush, colour, burn, flame More Synonyms of flush
Flush is also a noun.
There was a slight flush on his cheeks.
[Also + of]
flushedadjective
Her face was flushed with anger. [+ with]
Synonyms: blushing, red, hot, burning More Synonyms of flush
2. verb
When someone flushes a toilet after using it, they fill the toilet bowl with water in order to clean it, usually by pressing a handle or pulling a chain. You can also say that a toilet flushes.
She flushed the toilet and went back in the bedroom. [VERB noun]
...the sound of the toilet flushing. [VERB]
Flush is also a noun.
He heard the flush of a toilet. [+ of]
3. verb
If you flush something down the toilet, you get rid of it by putting it into the toilet bowl and flushing the toilet.
He was found trying to flush banknotes down the toilet. [V n + down]
4. verb
If you flush a part of your body, you clean it or make it healthier by using a large amount of liquid to get rid of dirt or harmful substances.
Flush the eye with clean cold water for at least 15 minutes. [VERB noun]
Water is ideal to flush the kidneys and the urinary tract. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: cleanse, wash out, swab, rinse out More Synonyms of flush
Flush out means the same as flush.
...an 'alternative' therapy that gently flushes out the colon to remove toxins. [VERBPARTICLE noun]
[Also VERB noun PARTICLE]
5. verb
If you flush dirt or a harmful substance out of a place, you get rid of it by using a large amount of liquid.
That won't flush all the sewage out, but it should unclog some stinking drains. [V n with out]
6. verb
If you flush people or animals out of a place where they are hiding, you find or capture them by forcing them to come out of that place.
They flushed them out of their hiding places. [V n + out of]
Police conduct raids to flush out illegal traders. [V n with out]
Synonyms: drive out, force, dislodge, put to flight More Synonyms of flush
7. adjective [verb-link ADJECTIVE]
If one object or surface is flushwith another, they are at the same height or distance from something else, so that theyform a single smooth surface.
Make sure the tile is flush with the surrounding tiles. [+ with]
Synonyms: level, even, true, flat More Synonyms of flush
8. graded adjective [verb-link ADJECTIVE, usu ADJwith n]
If you are flushwith money, you have a lot of it, usually only for a short time.
[informal]
At that time, many developing countries were flush with dollars earned from exports.
If we're feeling flush we'll probably give them champagne.
Synonyms: affluent, liberal, generous, lavish More Synonyms of flush
9. singular noun
Theflush of something is an intense feeling of excitement or pleasure that you have when you are experiencing it and for a short time afterwards.
...the first flush of young love. [+ of]
...in the flush of victory. [+ of]
Synonyms: bloom, glow, vigour, freshness More Synonyms of flush
10. singular noun [NOUNof noun]
A flush of something is a large quantity of it that comes suddenly or quickly.
...the flush of recent victories.
...a flush of memories.
Phrasal verbs:
See flush out
More Synonyms of flush
flush in British English1
(flʌʃ)
verb
1.
to blush or cause to blush
2.
to flow or flood or cause to flow or flood with or as if with water
3.
to glow or shine or cause to glow or shine with a rosy colour
4.
to send a volume of water quickly through (a pipe, channel, etc) or into (a toilet) for the purpose of cleansing, emptying, etc
5.
to cause (soluble substances in the soil) to be washed towards the surface, as by the action of underground springs, or (of such substances) to be washed towards the soil surface
6. (tr; usually passive)
to excite or elate
noun
7.
a rosy colour, esp in the cheeks; blush
8.
a sudden flow or gush, as of water
9.
a feeling of excitement or elation
the flush of success
10.
early bloom; freshness
the flush of youth
11.
redness of the skin, esp of the face, as from the effects of a fever, alcohol, etc
12. ecology
an area of boggy land fed by ground water
adjective
13.
having a ruddy or heightened colour
Derived forms
flusher (ˈflusher)
noun
Word origin
C16 (in the sense: to gush forth): perhaps from flush3
flush in British English2
(flʌʃ)
adjective(usually postpositive)
1.
level or even with another surface
2.
directly adjacent; continuous
3. informal
having plenty of money
4. informal
abundant or plentiful, as money
5.
full of vigour
6.
full to the brim or to the point of overflowing
7. printing
having an even margin, right or left, with no indentations
8.
(of a blow) accurately delivered
9.
(of a vessel) having no superstructure built above the flat level of the deck
adverb
10.
so as to be level or even
11.
directly or squarely
verb(transitive)
12.
to cause (surfaces) to be on the same level or in the same plane
13.
to enrich the diet of (a ewe) during the breeding season
noun
14.
a period of fresh growth of leaves, shoots, etc
Derived forms
flushness (ˈflushness)
noun
Word origin
C18: probably from flush1 (in the sense: spring out)
flush in British English3
(flʌʃ)
verb
(transitive)
to rouse (game, wild creatures, etc) and put to flight
Word origin
C13 flusshen, perhaps of imitative origin
flush in British English4
(flʌʃ)
noun
(in poker and similar games) a hand containing only one suit
Word origin
C16: from Old French flus, from Latin fluxusflux
flush in American English1
(flʌʃ)
verb intransitive
1.
to flow and spread suddenly and rapidly
2.
to become red in the face, as with embarrassment or anger; blush
3.
to glow
4.
to become cleaned, washed, or emptied out with a sudden flow of water, etc.
5.
to start up from cover
said of birds
verb transitive
6.
to make flow
7.
to clean, wash, or empty out with a sudden flow of water, etc.
8.
to make blush or glow
9.
to excite; animate; exhilarate
usually in the passive voice
flushed with victory
10.
to drive (game birds) from cover
11.
to make level or even
noun
12.
a sudden and rapid flow, as of water in washing out something
13.
a sudden, vigorous growth
the first flush of youth
14.
a sudden feeling of excitement or exhilaration
15.
a blush; glow
16.
a sudden feeling of great heat, as in a fever
adjective
17.
well supplied, esp. with money
18.
abundant; plentiful
19. Dialectal
lavish; profuse
20. Rare
full of vigor
21. Rare
having a ruddy color; glowing
22.
a.
making an even or unbroken line or surface; being even or on the same line or plane
a door flush with the walls
b.
even with a margin or edge
23.
direct; full
adverb
24.
in an even manner; so as to be level or in alignment
25.
directly; squarely
it hit him flush in the face
Word origin
complex of several words, with senses flash & ME flusshen, to fly up suddenly, blended with echoic elements; “flow” senses < ? or akin to OFrfluir (stem fluiss-), to flow
flush in American English2
(flʌʃ)
noun
a hand of cards all in the same suit: in poker, a flush ranks just above a straight and below a full house
Word origin
Fr flux: see flux
Examples of 'flush' in a sentence
flush
I wonder how that will play in Richmond, where most of the residents are flush with money.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Early frosts and snow and the game season in full flush call for warming winter reds.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
And what world is more ideal than the first flush of love?
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Utilities were flush with cash and the economy was humming.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
You may feel warmth and flushing of the face.
The Sun (2007)
Sterling right now is a busted flush.
The Sun (2016)
She was in the flush of youth and this is an absolute tragedy.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
You walk away from this book feeling flushed and a bit bruised.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Nor does it cause dizziness or flushing.
The Sun (2014)
This beast was then enjoying the first flush of its newfound success.
Stanley Bing THROWING THE ELEPHANT (2002)
Her cheeks were flushed with excitement and a speckled dove with an injured leg perched on her shoulder.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
They're not too flush with money and things are just a little bit boring.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Now she rose from her seat, flushed with anger, unable to speak.
Christianity Today (2000)
There is a school of thought that says rock'n'roll is a busted flush, a sound stuck in a repetitive cycle.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
By blending the colour into skin it gives a naturally flushed finish without making her look like she's wearing too much make-up.
The Sun (2012)
The idea of seats that could be folded flush to the floor, instead of having to be removed, was a genuine innovation.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
As I recounted the joke to her, she flushed pink with pleasure and smiled shyly.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Word lists with
flush
terms used in poker
In other languages
flush
British English: flush /flʌʃ/ NOUN
A flush is a rosy colour, especially in the cheeks.