Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun One that is easily defeated or taken advantage of.
  • noun Something that is easily done or attained. synonym: breeze.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Someone who is easily swayed or influenced to change his/her mind or comply.
  • noun Someone who lets himself be picked or bullied on without defending or stand up for him/herself.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun someone who is easily taken advantage of
  • noun any undertaking that is easy to do

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

push +‎ over; US 1906 of things, 1926 of people (bad boxers and easy women), popularized by Jack Conway of Variety.

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Examples

  • We are not a pushover, which is really pleasing, and we keep on going and, if we can keep that up in the coming months, we will be OK.

    Darren Bent says Aston Villa link-up with Agbonlahor can serve England 2011

  • Bygones is one thing, being a pushover is another.

    Fineman: Obama And Durbin Want Lieberman To Stay As Homeland Security Chair 2009

  • Neither Diller nor Gehry is known as a pushover, but both say they had an easy, if not entirely conflict-free, relationship.

    diller@gehry.nyc Goldberger, Paul 2007

  • "Mariella Frostrup, not normally known as a pushover, seemed to come over all unnecessary when she hosted a question-and-answer session with the prime minister at the Labour conference."

    They do love HMV at the BBC Not a sheep 2007

  • Neither Diller nor Gehry is known as a pushover, but both say they had an easy, if not entirely conflict-free, relationship.

    diller@gehry.nyc Goldberger, Paul 2007

  • Mariella Frostrup, not normally known as a pushover, seemed to come over all unnecessary when she hosted a question-and-answer session with the prime minister at the Labour conference.

    Archive 2007-09-01 Burke's Corner 2007

  • Mariella Frostrup, not normally known as a pushover, seemed to come over all unnecessary when she hosted a question-and-answer session with the prime minister at the Labour conference.

    Archive 2007-09-23 Valleys Mam 2007

  • Mariella Frostrup, not normally known as a pushover, seemed to come over all unnecessary when she hosted a question-and-answer session with the prime minister at the Labour conference.

    Flirting at Bournemouth Burke's Corner 2007

  • Mariella Frostrup, not normally known as a pushover, seemed to come over all unnecessary when she hosted a question-and-answer session with the prime minister at the Labour conference.

    Now its Gordon "Clooney" Valleys Mam 2007

  • If the woman was a good listener and even-handed, she was dubbed a pushover and someone likely to have trouble unraveling the “real story.”

    Firedoglake » Gender and Identity Politics 2006

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