Meanings
verbpush away (third-person singular simple present pushes away, present participle pushing away, simple past and past participle pushed away)
present singular third person pushes away · participle present pushing away · participle past pushed away · past pushed away
- literallytransitiveTo apply a force to (an entity) such that it moves to a more distant position.
- figurativelytransitiveTo reject intimacy; to reject friendship or romance; to refuse to accept or think about (something unpleasant).
I think... I might've... failed Pomni. Just like I failed Jax. Try too hard to get on their good side, and then I just... end up pushing them away! And then they end up hating me!
2025 August 15, Gooseworx, “They All Get Guns” (18:32 from the start), in The Amazing Digital Circus, episode 6, spoken by Ragatha (Amanda Hufford)
Synonyms & antonyms
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Māori hoe
- hoe(literally) to apply a force to (an entity) such that it moves to a more distant position
Polish odpychać, odepchnąć
- odpychać(literally) to apply a force to (an entity) such that it moves to a more distant position
- odepchnąć(literally) to apply a force to (an entity) such that it moves to a more distant position
- odsuwać(literally) to apply a force to (an entity) such that it moves to a more distant position
- odsunąć(literally) to apply a force to (an entity) such that it moves to a more distant position
- odpychać(''figuratively'') to reject intimacy; to reject friendship or romance; to refuse to accept or think about
- odepchnąć(''figuratively'') to reject intimacy; to reject friendship or romance; to refuse to accept or think about
- odsuwać(''figuratively'') to reject intimacy; to reject friendship or romance; to refuse to accept or think about
- odsunąć(''figuratively'') to reject intimacy; to reject friendship or romance; to refuse to accept or think about
Russian оттолкну́ть, отта́лкивать
- оттолкну́ть (ottolknútʹ)(literally) to apply a force to (an entity) such that it moves to a more distant position
- отта́лкивать (ottálkivatʹ)(literally) to apply a force to (an entity) such that it moves to a more distant position
- оттолкну́ть (ottolknútʹ)(''figuratively'') to reject intimacy; to reject friendship or romance; to refuse to accept or think about
- отта́лкивать (ottálkivatʹ)(''figuratively'') to reject intimacy; to reject friendship or romance; to refuse to accept or think about
Spanish dar un volón, dar un empujón
- dar un volón(literally) to apply a force to (an entity) such that it moves to a more distant position
- dar un empujón(literally) to apply a force to (an entity) such that it moves to a more distant position
- dar un aventón(literally) to apply a force to (an entity) such that it moves to a more distant position
- rehuir(''figuratively'') to reject intimacy; to reject friendship or romance; to refuse to accept or think about
- alejar(''figuratively'') to reject intimacy; to reject friendship or romance; to refuse to accept or think about
Ukrainian відшто́вхувати, відштовхну́ти
- відшто́вхувати (vidštóvxuvaty)(literally) to apply a force to (an entity) such that it moves to a more distant position
- відштовхну́ти (vidštovxnúty)(literally) to apply a force to (an entity) such that it moves to a more distant position
- відшто́вхувати (vidštóvxuvaty)(''figuratively'') to reject intimacy; to reject friendship or romance; to refuse to accept or think about
- відштовхну́ти (vidštovxnúty)(''figuratively'') to reject intimacy; to reject friendship or romance; to refuse to accept or think about
Cite this entry
APA
push away. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/push%20away
MLA
“push away.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/push%20away. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “push away,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/push%20away.
Source: push away on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.