Word
flush
US/ˈfɫəʃ/
UK/flˈʌʃ/
Definitions
01to clean with water
A2 · Elementary
v. to clean a toilet or a pipe by sending a large amount of water through it.
v. to cleanse or empty a space, especially a toilet or plumbing system, by a sudden rush of water.
日本語:（トイレの）水を流す※
“Don't forget to flush the toilet after you use it.”
“The plumber had to flush the entire heating system to remove the buildup of rust and debris from the old pipes.”
02to turn red
B1 · Intermediate
v. to become red in the face because you are embarrassed, angry, or hot.
v. to become suffused with blood in the face, typically as a physiological response to emotion or temperature.
“She felt her cheeks flush when the teacher called her name in front of the class.”
“He began to flush with anger as the witness continued to contradict the evidence presented earlier in the trial.”
Antonyms
03to force out of hiding
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to force a person or animal to leave a hiding place.
v. to cause a person or animal to leave a place of concealment or cover.
“The dogs were used to flush the birds out of the tall grass.”
“The investigators hoped that the new evidence would flush the suspect out of hiding before he could flee the country.”
04to clear data
C1 · Advanced Computing Technical
v. to clear temporary data from a computer's memory.
v. to clear a buffer or cache of its contents, often by writing the data to a more permanent storage location.
“You might need to flush your browser cache to see the changes on the website.”
“The system is designed to flush the write buffer to the disk every few seconds to prevent data loss during a power failure.”
05a red glow
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. a red colour that appears on your skin.
n. a reddening of the face or skin, caused by a rush of blood.
“A slight flush appeared on his face when she complimented his work.”
“The fever left a deep flush on the child's cheeks, despite her hands feeling quite cold to the touch.”
06cards of the same suit
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. a set of cards in a game that are all the same type, like all hearts.
n. a hand of cards all of the same suit.
“He won the poker game because he had a royal flush.”
“She realised too late that her opponent was likely holding a flush, given the way he had been betting since the turn.”
07level or even
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. being at the same level as another surface so that it is smooth.
adj. aligned or even with an adjacent surface; forming a continuous plane.
“Make sure the cupboard door is flush with the wall.”
“The carpenter spent hours ensuring the new floorboards were perfectly flush with the existing threshold to avoid a tripping hazard.”
Antonyms
08having plenty of money
C1 · Advanced Informal
adj. having a lot of money, usually for a short time.
adj. having a large amount of money; affluent or well-supplied.
“I've just been paid, so I'm feeling quite flush this weekend.”
“After winning the lottery, they were suddenly flush with cash and began planning an expensive trip around the world.”
Real-World Examples
“Another factor that propped up that time was that the music industry was flush with money from the invention of CDs.” “Then you might touch the lid, after which you flush with the lid up or down.” “In 2017, he moved to Barcelona , who were flush with money from selling Neymar for €222m (£194m).” Etymology
From Middle English flusshen, fluschen, of uncertain origin. Compare dialectal flusk (“to fly at, startle a bird out of the bush”) and flusker (“to flutter, fly irregularly”). Perhaps related to Middle English flasshen, flasschen, flaschen, see flash; or a Middle English blend of flowen (“to flow”) + guschen (“to gush”). Compare Saterland Frisian flutskje, German Low German flutschen, German flutschen.
Same as Etymology 3, according to The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language.
Probably from Etymology 1, according to The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language.
Various similar terms are found in dialectal English and Scots as flash and flosh (older Scots flosche), and the variation goes back to Middle English flushe, flosche, flashe, flaske. The DSL suggests a relation between flush, English flash (“pool”), and Middle English flosche, but influence from other water-related senses of flush and flash is also conceivable.
Probably from Middle French flus (“flow”), cognate with flux.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
01. busted flush
02. flush out
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/flush
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0