Bush — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb adjective /ˈbu̇sh/

Meaning & Definition of Bush

Bush (noun)

  1. shrub; especially, a low densely branched shrub
  2. a close thicket of shrubs suggesting a single plant
  3. a large uncleared or sparsely settled area (as in Australia) usually scrub-covered or forested, wilderness —usually used with the
  4. bushing

Bush (verb)

  1. to support, mark, or protect with bushes
  2. to extend like a bush, resemble a bush

Bush (adjective)

  1. having a low-growing compact bushy habit —used especially of cultivated beans
  2. serving, occurring in, or used in the bush
  3. falling below acceptable standards, unprofessional

Bush (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. falling short of a standard

    "a hopelessly bush effort at creating a romantic comedy"

    similar: bad, bastard, bush-league, crummy, deficient, dissatisfactory, ill, inferior, lame, lousy, off, paltry, poor, punk, sour, suboptimal, subpar, substandard, unacceptable, unsatisfactory, wack (slang), wanting, wretched, wrong, below par, from hunger
    related: abysmal, atrocious, awful, bitchin' (slang), brutal, damnable, deplorable, detestable, disastrous, dreadful, execrable, gnarly (slang), horrendous, horrible, pathetic, stinky, sucky (slang), terrible, unspeakable, defective, faulty, flawed, egregious, flagrant, gross, bum, cheesy, coarse, common, crappy (slang), cut-rate, junky, lesser, low-grade, low-rent, mediocre, miserable, reprehensible, rotten, rubbishy, second-rate, shoddy, sleazy, trashy, abominable, odious, vile, useless, valueless, worthless, inadequate, insufficient, lacking, meager, mean, miserly, scanty, shabby, short, skimp, skimpy, spare, stingy, miscreant, scurrilous, villainous, counterfeit, fake, phony, sham
    opposite: acceptable, adequate, all right, decent, fine, OK, passable, respectable, satisfactory, standard, tolerable
    near: classic, classical, A1, bang-up, banner, boss (slang), capital, choice, crackerjack, dandy, divine, excellent, fabulous, first-class, first-rate, grand, great, groovy, heavenly, high-test, jim-dandy, keen, marvelous, mean, neat, nifty, noble, par excellence, perfect, premium, prime, sensational, slick, splendid, stellar, sterling, superb, superior, superlative, supernal, swell, terrific, tip-top, top, top-notch, unsurpassed, wonderful, better, exceptional, fancy, high-grade, special, sufficient, average, borderline, fair, mediocre, middling, minimal, so-so, unexceptional, suitable, useful, worthy, gratifying, satisfying

Bush (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a rural region that forms the edge of the settled or developed part of a country

    "a guide who specializes in taking adventurous tourists through the bush"

    similar: backcountry, backland(s), backwater, backwoods, frontier, hinterland, outback, outlands, up-country, (the) back of beyond
    related: boonies (slang), boondocks, country, countryside, sticks

Related Entry: Bush-league (adjective)

Bush-league is a different word from Bush. The synonyms below are for bush-league, not for bush.

  1. falling short of a standard

    "that's just a bush-league ploy to get cast on a TV reality show"

    similar: bad, bastard, bush, crummy, deficient, dissatisfactory, ill, inferior, lame, lousy, off, paltry, poor, punk, sour, suboptimal, subpar, substandard, unacceptable, unsatisfactory, wack (slang), wanting, wretched, wrong, below par, from hunger
    related: abysmal, atrocious, awful, bitchin' (slang), brutal, damnable, deplorable, detestable, disastrous, dreadful, execrable, gnarly (slang), horrendous, horrible, pathetic, stinky, sucky (slang), terrible, unspeakable, defective, faulty, flawed, egregious, flagrant, gross, bum, cheesy, coarse, common, crappy (slang), cut-rate, junky, lesser, low-grade, low-rent, mediocre, miserable, reprehensible, rotten, rubbishy, second-rate, shoddy, sleazy, trashy, abominable, odious, vile, useless, valueless, worthless, inadequate, insufficient, lacking, meager, mean, miserly, scanty, shabby, short, skimp, skimpy, spare, stingy, miscreant, scurrilous, villainous, counterfeit, fake, phony, sham
    opposite: acceptable, adequate, all right, decent, fine, OK, passable, respectable, satisfactory, standard, tolerable
    near: classic, classical, A1, bang-up, banner, boss (slang), capital, choice, crackerjack, dandy, divine, excellent, fabulous, first-class, first-rate, grand, great, groovy, heavenly, high-test, jim-dandy, keen, marvelous, mean, neat, nifty, noble, par excellence, perfect, premium, prime, sensational, slick, splendid, stellar, sterling, superb, superior, superlative, supernal, swell, terrific, tip-top, top, top-notch, unsurpassed, wonderful, better, exceptional, fancy, high-grade, special, sufficient, average, borderline, fair, mediocre, middling, minimal, so-so, unexceptional, suitable, useful, worthy, gratifying, satisfying

Related Entry: Bush pilot (noun)

Bush pilot is a different word from Bush. The synonyms below are for bush pilot, not for bush.

  1. as in ace, test pilot

    similar: ace, barnstormer, copilot, flyboy, test pilot, airman, aviator, birdman, flier, pilot, captain, skipper

Related Entry: Bush pilots (noun)

Bush pilots is a different word from Bush. The synonyms below are for bush pilots, not for bush.

  1. as in aces, test pilots

    similar: aces, barnstormers, copilots, flyboys, test pilots, airmen, aviators, birdmen, fliers, pilots, captains, skippers

Related Entry: Beat around the bush (phrase)

Beat around the bush is a different word from Bush. The synonyms below are for beat around the bush, not for bush.

  1. to avoid giving a definite answer or position

    "Please stop beating around the bush and tell me the full story."

    similar: equivocate, fudge, hedge, pussyfoot, tergiversate, waffle, weasel, hem and haw, straddle the fence
    related: flip-flop, yo-yo, dodge, duck, elude, eschew, evade, shake, shirk, shun, sidestep, skirt, bypass, circumvent, cavil, quibble, straddle

Related Entry: Beaten around the bush (phrase)

Beaten around the bush is a different word from Bush. The synonyms below are for beaten around the bush, not for bush.

  1. to avoid giving a definite answer or position

    "Please stop beating around the bush and tell me the full story."

    similar: equivocated, fudged, hedged, pussyfooted, tergiversated, waffled, weaseled, hemmed and hawed, straddled the fence
    related: flip-flopped, yo-yoed, dodged, ducked, eluded, eschewed, evaded, shaken, shirked, shunned, sidestepped, skirted, bypassed, circumvented, caviled, quibbled, straddled

Related Entry: Beats around the bush (phrase)

Beats around the bush is a different word from Bush. The synonyms below are for beats around the bush, not for bush.

  1. to avoid giving a definite answer or position

    "Please stop beating around the bush and tell me the full story."

    similar: equivocates, fudges, hedges, pussyfoots, tergiversates, waffles, weasels, hems and haws, straddles the fence
    related: flip-flops, yo-yoes, dodges, ducks, eludes, eschews, evades, shakes, shirks, shuns, sidesteps, skirts, bypasses, circumvents, cavils, quibbles, straddles

Related Entry: Beating around the bush (phrase)

Beating around the bush is a different word from Bush. The synonyms below are for beating around the bush, not for bush.

  1. to avoid giving a definite answer or position

    "Please stop beating around the bush and tell me the full story."

    similar: equivocating, fudging, hedging, pussyfooting, tergiversating, waffling, weaseling, hemming and hawing, straddling the fence
    related: flip-flopping, yo-yoing, dodging, ducking, eluding, eschewing, evading, shaking, shirking, shunning, sidestepping, skirting, bypassing, circumventing, caviling, quibbling, straddling

Related Entry: Beat (verb)

Beat is a different word from Bush. The synonyms below are for beat, not for bush.

  1. to strike repeatedly

    "they attacked and beat him, but fortunately he'll be fine"

    similar: bash, baste, bat, batter, belabor, belt, birch, bludgeon, buffet, bung up, club, curry, do, drub, fib (British), flog, hammer, hide, lace, lambaste, lash, lather, lick, maul, mess (up), paddle, pelt, pommel, pound, pummel, punch out, rough (up), slate, slog, switch, tan, thrash, thresh, thump, tromp, wallop, whale, whip, whop, whup, work over, beat up on
    related: assail, assault, attack, beset, box, bust, chop, clobber, clout, crack, cudgel, cuff, descend (on or upon), hit, jump (on), knock, lam, lay on, paste, pounce (on or upon), punch, raid, rush, slam, slap, smack, smash, sock, spank, storm, swat, swipe, thwack, whack, wham, whomp, blackjack, cane, cowhide, flagellate, fustigate, horsewhip, leather, pistol-whip, rawhide, scourge, strap, gore, lacerate, wound, maim, mangle, mutilate

  2. to achieve a victory over

    "she always beats everyone at checkers, but she's not as good at chess"

    similar: best, conquer, defeat, dispatch, do down (British), get, get around, lick, master, overbear, overcome, overmatch, prevail (over), skunk, stop, subdue, surmount, take, trim, triumph (over), upend, win (against), worst, get the better of, knock for a loop
    related: sweep, edge (out), nose out, pip (British), annihilate, blow away, blow out, bomb, break, bury, clobber, cream, crush, drub, finish, flatten, overwhelm, rout, shellac, skin, slaughter, smoke (slang), snow under, thrash, trounce, upset, wallop, wax (slang), whip, cap, excel, flourish, score, succeed, knock off, knock over, overpower, overthrow, subjugate, unseat, vanquish, ace (out), better, eclipse, exceed, outdistance, outdo, outfight, outshine, outstrip, overtop, surpass, top, transcend
    opposite: lose (to)
    near: fall, give up, go down, go under, collapse, fail, flop, flunk, fold, wash out

  3. to be greater, better, or stronger than

    "this new animated feature sure beats everything else that's ever been done in animation"

    similar: better, eclipse, exceed, excel, outclass, outdistance, outdo, outgun, outmatch, outshine, outstrip, overtop, surpass, top, tower (over), transcend, go one better, run circles around
    related: one-up, outpace, outrace, outrun, overpass, best, clobber, conquer, crush, defeat, drub, lick, master, outcompete, outperform, overcome, overmatch, prevail (over), rout, shame, skunk, subdue, surmount, thrash, trim, triumph (over), trounce, wallop, whip, win (against), worst, outbalance, outweigh, overbear, overshadow, trump
    near: lose (to)

  4. to expand and contract in a rhythmic manner

    "the patient's heart beats roughly 60 times per minute"

    similar: palpitate, pit-a-pat, pitter-patter, pulsate, pulse, throb
    related: fluctuate, oscillate, vibrate, quiver, tremble

  5. to move or cause to move with a striking motion

    "the bird's wings beat strongly as it soared in the air"

    similar: flail, flap, flop, flutter, whip
    related: bang, batter, buffet, knock, pound, smack, spank, thump, flick, flicker, flit, fan, oscillate, sway, swing, undulate, wave, palpitate, pulse, throb

  6. to prevent from achieving a goal

    "you beat me to it"

    similar: baffle, balk, checkmate, discomfit, foil, frustrate, thwart
    related: bar, block, clog, encumber, fetter, hamper, handicap, hinder, hobble, hold back, impede, inhibit, interfere (with), manacle, obstruct, shackle, tie up, trammel, arrest, check, halt, set back, short-circuit, stall, stop, avert, forestall, obviate, preclude, prevent, negate, neutralize, nullify, counteract, offset, conquer, defeat, overcome
    opposite: advance, cultivate, encourage, forward, foster, further, nurture, promote
    near: abet, aid, assist, ease, facilitate, smooth

  7. to shape with a hammer

    "the medieval artisans who beat iron into exquisite swords"

    similar: draw, forge, hammer, pound
    related: chase, planish, fashion, form, knead, model, mold, pat, work, coin, mint, stamp, abate, boast, carve, chisel, cut, grave, hew, knap, sculpt, sculpture

  8. to shine with a bright harsh light

    "the tropical sun beat down on our heads without mercy"

    similar: blaze, burn, flame, flare, glare
    related: beam, glow, radiate, flash, glance, gleam, glimmer, glint, glisten, glister, glitter, scintillate, shimmer, sparkle, twinkle, bedazzle, blind, daze, dazzle

  9. to strike or cause to strike lightly and usually rhythmically

    "beat the drum in a marching rhythm"

    similar: drum, rap, tap
    related: bang, bash, bat, bonk, bop, hammer, hit, knock, paste, pound, slam, smack, sock, strike, swat, thud, thump, thwack, wallop, whack, chink, clatter, clink, ping, pat, pit-a-pat, pitter-patter, chuck, clap, click, flick, tip

  10. to throw into a state of mental uncertainty

    "it beats me how that slipup happened"

    similar: addle, baffle, bamboozle, befog, befuddle, bemuse, bewilder, buffalo, confound, confuse, discombobulate, disorient, flummox, fox, fuddle, get, gravel, maze, muddle, muddy, mystify, perplex, pose, puzzle, vex, blow one's mind, go to one's head
    related: stick, stump, weird out, abash, discomfit, disconcert, discountenance, embarrass, faze, fluster, mortify, nonplus, rattle, agitate, bother, chagrin, discomfort, discompose, dismay, disquiet, distress, disturb, perturb, stun, unhinge, unsettle, upset, beguile, cozen, deceive, delude, dupe, fool, gull, hoax, hoodwink, humbug, misguide, mislead, snow, string along, take in, trick
    near: assure, reassure, satisfy, enlighten, inform

  11. to avoid having to comply with (something) especially through cleverness

    "he spends all of his time trying to beat the system"

    similar: bypass, circumvent, dodge, get around, shortcut, sidestep, skirt
    related: avoid, duck, elude, end-run, escape, eschew, evade, outflank, shake, shirk, shun, disobey, disregard, flout, ignore, avert, deflect, divert, obviate, parry, prevent, ward (off)
    opposite: comply (with), follow, keep, obey, observe
    near: accede (to), acquiesce (to), assent (to), accept, court, embrace, pursue, seek, welcome, catch, contract, incur

  12. to reduce to fine particles

    "years of pounding had beaten the pebbles to a fine dust"

    similar: atomize, bray, comminute, crush, disintegrate, grind, mill, mull, pound, powder, pulverize
    related: grate, kibble, crumble, crunch, break, bust, dash, fracture, fragment, shatter, smash, splinter, micronize

  13. to rob by the use of trickery or threats

    "the screenwriter has filed a lawsuit, accusing the production company of beating him out of his share of the film's net profits"

    similar: bilk, bleed, cheat, chisel, chouse, con, cozen, defraud, diddle, do, do in, euchre, fiddle, fleece, flimflam, gaff, hose (slang), hustle, mulct, nobble (British slang), pluck, ream, rip off, rook, screw, shake down, short, shortchange, skin, skunk, squeeze, stick, stiff, sting, sucker, swindle, thimblerig, victimize, sell a bill of goods to, take for a ride, take to the cleaners
    related: extort, wrench, wrest, wring, clip, gouge, nick, overcharge, soak, exploit, milk, deceive, dupe, fool, gull, trick, rope (in), betray, bitch, double-cross, bamboozle, fast-talk

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Bush

The most common words with a similar meaning to Bush:

Slang: wack
bad, bastard, bush-league, crummy, deficient, dissatisfactory, ill, inferior, lame, lousy, off, paltry, poor, punk, sour, suboptimal, subpar, substandard, unacceptable, unsatisfactory, wanting, wretched, wrong, below par, from hunger, backcountry, backland(s), backwater, backwoods, frontier, hinterland, outback, outlands, up-country, (the) back of beyond

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Bush

Words with the opposite meaning of Bush:

acceptable, adequate, all right, decent, fine, OK, passable, respectable, satisfactory, standard, tolerable

Related Words for Bush

abysmal, atrocious, awful, bitchin', brutal, damnable, deplorable, detestable, disastrous, dreadful, execrable, gnarly, horrendous, horrible, pathetic, stinky, sucky, terrible, unspeakable, defective, faulty, flawed, egregious, flagrant, gross, bum, cheesy, coarse, common, crappy

Near Antonyms of Bush

classic, classical, A1, bang-up, banner, boss, capital, choice, crackerjack, dandy, divine, excellent, fabulous, first-class, first-rate, grand, great, groovy, heavenly, high-test, jim-dandy, keen, marvelous, mean, neat, nifty, noble, par excellence, perfect, premium

Word Forms of Bush

Inflections: bushed, bushing, bushes

Origin & Etymology of Bush

Middle English bussh, bosch, buissh "woods, thicket, underbrush, shrub, underbrush concealing a hunter or fighter," later forms (probably assimilated to an Anglo-French variant of *buis, bois woodland, wood [the material] with a final hushing consonant) of boske, buske, going back to Old English *busc, going back to Germanic *buska- (perhaps also beside an earlier u-stem *busku-) (whence also Old Saxon -busc in brāmalbusk "bramble bush," Middle Dutch bosch, busch "forest, bunch, bundle," Old High German busc, bosc "shrub, bramble bush, thicket, grove," Old Swedish buske "bush," Old Norse [Norway] buskær, a nickname, probably "the bushy-haired one," Old Icelandic Buski, name for a dog, probably "the bristly one"), of uncertain origin; (sense 2) probably after Dutch bosch in this sense

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Bush

Words & Phrases Containing Bush

bush baby, bush basil

Frequently Asked Questions about Bush

What does "Bush" mean?

"Bush" means shrub; especially, a low densely branched shrub. As an a noun, a verb and an adjective, it is defined as: shrub; especially, a low densely branched shrub. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Bush"?

Other words for "Bush" include bad, bastard, bush-league, crummy, deficient, dissatisfactory, ill and inferior. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Bush" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Bush"?

There are 111 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Bush". Common alternatives include bad, bastard, bush-league, crummy, deficient, dissatisfactory, ill, inferior, lame and lousy.

What is the opposite of "Bush"?

Antonyms of "Bush" include acceptable, adequate, all right, decent, fine, OK, passable and respectable. Near antonyms include classic, classical, A1 and bang-up.

How do you use "Bush" in a sentence?

Examples of "Bush" in a sentence: "a hopelessly bush effort at creating a romantic comedy"; "a guide who specializes in taking adventurous tourists through the bush".

Is "Bush" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Bush" can be used as a noun, a verb and an adjective, depending on the context.

Is "Bush" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B2-level word, "Bush" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+.

How do you pronounce "Bush"?

"Bush" is pronounced /ˈbu̇sh/.