"push it" meaning in English

See push it in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

Audio: En-au-push it.ogg Forms: pushes it [present, singular, third-person], pushing it [participle, present], pushed it [participle, past], pushed it [past]
Etymology: The slang sense referring to sexual intercourse was inspired by "Push It", a Salt-n-Pepa song of the 1980s. The song is ostensibly only about dancing but clearly also implies sex. Head templates: {{en-verb|*}} push it (third-person singular simple present pushes it, present participle pushing it, simple past and past participle pushed it)
  1. (idiomatic) To make an extraordinary or risky effort; to behave in a way which tests the limits; to take chances; to expect too much. Tags: idiomatic
    Sense id: en-push_it-en-verb-ZAWBaidu Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English terms with placeholder "it", Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 63 37 Disambiguation of English terms with placeholder "it": 65 35 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 67 33 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 77 23
  2. (slang, dated) To have sexual intercourse. Tags: dated, slang
    Sense id: en-push_it-en-verb-1mt2qdDB Categories (other): English terms with collocations
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Related terms: push one's luck, push the envelope

Inflected forms

{
  "etymology_text": "The slang sense referring to sexual intercourse was inspired by \"Push It\", a Salt-n-Pepa song of the 1980s. The song is ostensibly only about dancing but clearly also implies sex.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "pushes it",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "pushing it",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "pushed it",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "pushed it",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "push it (third-person singular simple present pushes it, present participle pushing it, simple past and past participle pushed it)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "push one's luck"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "push the envelope"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "63 37",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "65 35",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms with placeholder \"it\"",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "67 33",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "77 23",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              14,
              24
            ]
          ],
          "text": "You're really pushing it if you expect them to keep putting up with your B.S.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              15,
              25
            ]
          ],
          "text": "We were really pushing it when we kept on driving even though the fuel gauge was near empty.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              32,
              39
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1900, Anthony Hope, chapter 20, in Tristram of Blent:",
          "text": "\"No hurry, give me time\"—\"don't push it\"—\"wait\"—\"do nothing\"—\"the status quo\"—all these various phrases expressed Lord Southend's earnest and re-iterated advice.\"",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              167,
              174
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1989 December 30, Frank Litsky, “Giants' Johnson Practicing Again”, in New York Times, retrieved 29 Aug 2013:",
          "text": "This season, Johnson's back spasms returned after five games and he underwent surgery again. . . . \"If it comes around well, I might be able to play. I'm not going to push it.\"",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              120,
              130
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2008 July 24, Bill Powell, “100 Olympic Athletes To Watch: Yao Ming”, in Time, retrieved 29 Aug 2013:",
          "text": "[V]arious physicians in the U.S. have been quoted as saying that coming back this quickly from his particular injury is pushing it.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              85,
              92
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2010, Andre Dubus, Adultery & Other Choices, →ISBN:",
          "text": "\"Sometimes she lets me touch her, just the breasts you see, and that's fine, I don't push it.\"",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To make an extraordinary or risky effort; to behave in a way which tests the limits; to take chances; to expect too much."
      ],
      "id": "en-push_it-en-verb-ZAWBaidu",
      "links": [
        [
          "extraordinary",
          "extraordinary"
        ],
        [
          "risky",
          "risky"
        ],
        [
          "effort",
          "effort"
        ],
        [
          "test",
          "test"
        ],
        [
          "limit",
          "limit"
        ],
        [
          "take chances",
          "take chances"
        ],
        [
          "expect",
          "expect"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To make an extraordinary or risky effort; to behave in a way which tests the limits; to take chances; to expect too much."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms with collocations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              0,
              7
            ]
          ],
          "tags": [
            "collocation"
          ],
          "text": "push it real good",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              52,
              59
            ],
            [
              213,
              220
            ],
            [
              221,
              228
            ],
            [
              239,
              246
            ],
            [
              248,
              255
            ],
            [
              271,
              278
            ],
            [
              280,
              287
            ],
            [
              298,
              305
            ],
            [
              309,
              316
            ],
            [
              331,
              338
            ],
            [
              403,
              410
            ],
            [
              416,
              423
            ],
            [
              438,
              445
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1987, Hurby Azor, Ray Davies, “Push It (Salt-n-Pepa song)”performed by Salt-n-Pepa:",
          "text": "Salt-n-Pepa's here, and we're in effect\nWant you to push it back\nCooling by day, then at night, working up a sweat\nC'mon girls, let's go show the guys that we know\nHow to become number one in a hot party show\nNow push it\npush it good\n(Ah, push it) push it real good\n(Ah, push it) push it good\n(Ah, push it) p-push it real good\nOw!\nPush it good\nOoh, baby, baby, baby, baby\nOoh, baby, baby, ba-baby, baby\nPush it good\nPush it real good\nAh, push it",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To have sexual intercourse."
      ],
      "id": "en-push_it-en-verb-1mt2qdDB",
      "links": [
        [
          "sexual intercourse",
          "sexual intercourse"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(slang, dated) To have sexual intercourse."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "dated",
        "slang"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-push it.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/8e/En-au-push_it.ogg/En-au-push_it.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/En-au-push_it.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "push it"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English terms with placeholder \"it\"",
    "English verbs",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries"
  ],
  "etymology_text": "The slang sense referring to sexual intercourse was inspired by \"Push It\", a Salt-n-Pepa song of the 1980s. The song is ostensibly only about dancing but clearly also implies sex.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "pushes it",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "pushing it",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "pushed it",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "pushed it",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "push it (third-person singular simple present pushes it, present participle pushing it, simple past and past participle pushed it)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "push one's luck"
    },
    {
      "word": "push the envelope"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English idioms",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              14,
              24
            ]
          ],
          "text": "You're really pushing it if you expect them to keep putting up with your B.S.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              15,
              25
            ]
          ],
          "text": "We were really pushing it when we kept on driving even though the fuel gauge was near empty.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              32,
              39
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1900, Anthony Hope, chapter 20, in Tristram of Blent:",
          "text": "\"No hurry, give me time\"—\"don't push it\"—\"wait\"—\"do nothing\"—\"the status quo\"—all these various phrases expressed Lord Southend's earnest and re-iterated advice.\"",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              167,
              174
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1989 December 30, Frank Litsky, “Giants' Johnson Practicing Again”, in New York Times, retrieved 29 Aug 2013:",
          "text": "This season, Johnson's back spasms returned after five games and he underwent surgery again. . . . \"If it comes around well, I might be able to play. I'm not going to push it.\"",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              120,
              130
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2008 July 24, Bill Powell, “100 Olympic Athletes To Watch: Yao Ming”, in Time, retrieved 29 Aug 2013:",
          "text": "[V]arious physicians in the U.S. have been quoted as saying that coming back this quickly from his particular injury is pushing it.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              85,
              92
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2010, Andre Dubus, Adultery & Other Choices, →ISBN:",
          "text": "\"Sometimes she lets me touch her, just the breasts you see, and that's fine, I don't push it.\"",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To make an extraordinary or risky effort; to behave in a way which tests the limits; to take chances; to expect too much."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "extraordinary",
          "extraordinary"
        ],
        [
          "risky",
          "risky"
        ],
        [
          "effort",
          "effort"
        ],
        [
          "test",
          "test"
        ],
        [
          "limit",
          "limit"
        ],
        [
          "take chances",
          "take chances"
        ],
        [
          "expect",
          "expect"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To make an extraordinary or risky effort; to behave in a way which tests the limits; to take chances; to expect too much."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English dated terms",
        "English slang",
        "English terms with collocations",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              0,
              7
            ]
          ],
          "tags": [
            "collocation"
          ],
          "text": "push it real good",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              52,
              59
            ],
            [
              213,
              220
            ],
            [
              221,
              228
            ],
            [
              239,
              246
            ],
            [
              248,
              255
            ],
            [
              271,
              278
            ],
            [
              280,
              287
            ],
            [
              298,
              305
            ],
            [
              309,
              316
            ],
            [
              331,
              338
            ],
            [
              403,
              410
            ],
            [
              416,
              423
            ],
            [
              438,
              445
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1987, Hurby Azor, Ray Davies, “Push It (Salt-n-Pepa song)”performed by Salt-n-Pepa:",
          "text": "Salt-n-Pepa's here, and we're in effect\nWant you to push it back\nCooling by day, then at night, working up a sweat\nC'mon girls, let's go show the guys that we know\nHow to become number one in a hot party show\nNow push it\npush it good\n(Ah, push it) push it real good\n(Ah, push it) push it good\n(Ah, push it) p-push it real good\nOw!\nPush it good\nOoh, baby, baby, baby, baby\nOoh, baby, baby, ba-baby, baby\nPush it good\nPush it real good\nAh, push it",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To have sexual intercourse."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "sexual intercourse",
          "sexual intercourse"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(slang, dated) To have sexual intercourse."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "dated",
        "slang"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-push it.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/8e/En-au-push_it.ogg/En-au-push_it.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/En-au-push_it.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "push it"
}

Download raw JSONL data for push it meaning in English (4.6kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-01-03 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-01-01 using wiktextract (96027d6 and 9905b1f). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.