What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Blush vs Flush - What's the difference?

blush | flush |

Flush is a synonym of blush.



In intransitive terms the difference between blush and flush

is that blush is to have a warm and delicate colour, like some roses and other flowers while flush is to become suffused with reddish color due to embarrassment, excitement, overheating, or other systemic disturbance, to blush.

In transitive terms the difference between blush and flush

is that blush is to express or make known by blushing while flush is to excite, inflame.

As an adjective flush is

smooth, even, aligned; not sticking out.

blush

English

Etymology 1

(etyl) blyscan . Cognate with Old Norse .

Noun

(es)
  • An act of blushing.
  • (uncountable) A sort of makeup, frequently a powder, used to redden the cheeks. Confer rouge.
  • A color between pink and cream.
  • Derived terms
    * blush is off the rose * at first blush

    Verb

    (es)
  • To redden in the face from shame, excitement or embarrassment.
  • * Milton
  • To the nuptial bower / I led her blushing like the morn.
  • * 1912 , Stratemeyer Syndicate, Baseball Joe on the School Nine Chapter 1
  • But Tommy was bashful, and the attention he had thus drawn upon himself made him blush . He was a timid lad and he shrank away now, evidently fearing Shell.
  • To become red.
  • * Shakespeare
  • The sun of heaven, methought, was loth to set, / But stayed, and made the western welkin blush .
  • To suffuse with a blush; to redden; to make roseate.
  • * Shakespeare
  • To blush and beautify the cheek again.
  • To express or make known by blushing.
  • * Shakespeare
  • I'll blush you thanks.
  • To have a warm and delicate colour, like some roses and other flowers.
  • * T. Gray
  • Full many a flower is born to blush unseen.
    Synonyms
    * flushing * reddening

    Etymology 2

    1486 Dame Julia Barnes. The Book of St Albans.

    Noun

    (es)
  • The collective noun for a group of boys.
  • A blush of boys.
    Usage notes
    This is probably a fanciful expression and is not in common use.
    References
    * Noun sense: 1986 Oxford Reference Dictionary: Appendix

    Anagrams

    * ----

    flush

    English

    (wikipedia flush)

    Etymology 1

    (etyl)

    Noun

    (es)
  • A group of birds that have suddenly started up from undergrowth, trees etc.
  • * 1596 , (Edmund Spenser), The Faerie Queene , V.2:
  • As when a Faulcon hath with nimble flight / Flowne at a flush of Ducks foreby the brooke […].

    Verb

    (es)
  • To cause to take flight from concealment.
  • The hunters flushed the tiger from the canebrake.
  • To take suddenly to flight, especially from cover.
  • A covey of quail flushed from the undergrowth.
  • * W. Browne
  • flushing from one spray unto another

    Etymology 2

    Same as according to the American Heritage Dictionary

    Adjective

    (er)
  • smooth, even, aligned; not sticking out.
  • Sand down the excess until it is flush with the surface.
  • wealthy or well off.
  • He just got a bonus so he's flush today.
  • (typography) Short for flush left and right ; a body of text aligned with both its left and right margins.
  • Full of vigour; fresh; glowing; bright.
  • * Shakespeare
  • With all his crimes broad blown, as flush as May.
  • Affluent; abounding; well furnished or suppled; hence, liberal; prodigal.
  • * Arbuthnot
  • Lord Strut was not very flush in ready.
    Synonyms
    * (typography) double-clean, flush left and right, forced, forced justified, force justified, justified
    Derived terms
    * flush left, flush right, flush left and right

    Etymology 3

    Probably from according to American Heritage Dictionary

    Noun

    (es)
  • A sudden flowing; a rush which fills or overflows, as of water for cleansing purposes.
  • * Ray
  • in manner of a wave or flush
  • Particularly, such a cleansing of a toilet.
  • A suffusion of the face with blood, as from fear, shame, modesty, or intensity of feeling of any kind; a blush; a glow.
  • * Tennyson
  • the flush of angered shame
  • Any tinge of red colour like that produced on the cheeks by a sudden rush of blood.
  • the flush''' on the side of a peach; the '''flush on the clouds at sunset
  • A sudden flood or rush of feeling; a thrill of excitement, animation, etc.
  • a flush of joy

    Verb

    (es)
  • To cleanse by flooding with generous quantities of a fluid.
  • Flush the injury with plenty of water.
  • Particularly, to cleanse a toilet by introducing a large amount of water.
  • To become suffused with reddish color due to embarrassment, excitement, overheating, or other systemic disturbance, to blush.
  • The damsel flushed at the scoundrel's suggestion.
  • To cause to blush.
  • * John Gay
  • Nor flush with shame the passing virgin's cheek.
  • * Keats
  • Sudden a thought came like a full-blown rose, / Flushing his brow.
  • * 1925 , Fruit of the Flower , by
  • "Who plants a seed begets a bud, -- Extract of that same root; -- Why marvel at the hectic blood -- That flushes this wild fruit?"
  • To cause to be full; to flood; to overflow; to overwhelm with water.
  • to flush the meadows
  • To excite, inflame.
  • * South
  • such things as can only feed his pride and flush his ambition
  • (of a toilet) To be cleansed by being flooded with generous quantities of water.
  • There must be somebody home: I just heard the toilet flushing .
  • (computing) To clear (a buffer) of its contents.
  • To flow and spread suddenly; to rush.
  • Blood flushes into the face.
  • * Boyle
  • the flushing noise of many waters
  • To show red; to shine suddenly; to glow.
  • * Milton
  • In her cheek, distemper flushing glowed.
  • (masonry) To fill in (joints); to point the level; to make them flush.
  • Usage notes
    In sense “turn red with embarrassment”, (blush) is more common. More finely, in indicating the actual change, blush'' is more common – “He blushed with embarrassment” – but in indicating state, ''flushed is also common – “He was flushed with excitement”.
    Synonyms
    * (turn red with embarrassment) blush

    Etymology 4

    Probably from (etyl) , cognate with flux

    Noun

    (es)
  • (poker) A hand consisting of all cards with the same suit.
  • Derived terms
    * busted flush * royal flush * straight flush