“No Rush” Meaning: How to Use & Reply to This Phrase (With Examples)

What does “No rush” mean?

“No rush” means there’s no urgency or need to hurry. When someone says, “No rush,” they’re saying they don’t need you to act or move quickly or that something doesn’t need to be done immediately. It’s essentially the opposite of doing something as soon as possible (ASAP). When there’s no rush, it means you can take your time instead. “No rush, but how much of that book have you read so far?” “Don’t worry about getting this project done ASAP. There’s really no rush!”

How to Use “No Rush”

Say "No rush" to ask for something that isn’t time-sensitive. Whether you want to ask someone for a favor or tell a coworker about a task that needs doing, you can use “No rush” when the task doesn’t need to be done immediately. Either way, you’re asking someone to do something in their own time (rather than treating the task as urgent). “Can you bring over the charger I left at your place sometime? No rush, I have backups!” “No rush on this spreadsheet. We’re still waiting to receive some data next week.”

Reassure someone that you can wait for them. When you’re waiting on someone and they apologize for the delay or say they’ll hurry up, you can tell them, “No rush” to mean you’re okay with waiting and not in any hurry. In this sense, it’s like telling them to take their time with whatever they’re doing because it isn’t inconveniencing you. “No rush to pay me back! I don’t need it immediately.” “We’re early for the concert, so no rush! You’ve still got half an hour to get ready.”

Use "No rush" to share that you're not eager or willing to do something. When you say you're in "no rush" to do something, it means that you have no real desire or urge to do that thing and would prefer not to (if you had the choice). It's like saying, "I'd rather not do this." "Believe me, I'm in no rush to spend a week with my in-laws." "I'm in no rush to clean up my apartment."

How to Respond to “No Rush”

Confirm when you plan to accomplish a task. If someone asks you to do something but says “No rush,” you could acknowledge their words and come up with at least a general plan to complete the task (especially if it’s work-related). Let them know when you can get the task done with the understanding that it doesn’t have to be immediate. Them: “Can you bring over the charger I left at your place? No rush, I have backups!”You: “Sure thing, I’ll have time to drop by on Thursday if that works for you!”

Thank the person for their patience when appropriate. When someone is waiting on you and says “No rush,” you can generally relax and take your time doing whatever you’re currently doing (as long as it's done in a somewhat reasonable time frame). If you want to express your gratitude for their patience, you could also say "thank you" and give them a heads-up if they need to wait much longer. Them: “We’re early for the concert, so no rush! You’ve still got half an hour to get ready.”You: “Okay, thanks for the time check! I think I’ll need fifteen minutes tops.”

Polite Alternative Phrases for “No Rush”

"Take your time." This casual, friendly phrase means someone can take as much time as they need to do something (rather than rushing), making it an easy alternative to “No rush.” It’s appropriate in most situations between friends, family, or coworkers. “Take your time on this project. Quality is the most important thing!” “Take your time getting ready! I don’t mind waiting.”

"There’s no hurry." This phrase is very similar to “No rush” and has the same meaning, indicating that someone doesn’t need to do something in a big rush. If you want to ensure you aren’t using “No rush” too often, you could swap it out with “There’s no hurry” from time to time. “There’s no hurry to get all this done, so don’t stress yourself out!” “Could we pick up a few things for the house? There’s no hurry. We can go whenever you have time!” Say “Don’t rush” instead of “No rush.” “Don’t rush” is a little more straightforward, directly telling someone not to rush at whatever they’re doing.

"Whenever you can." This phrase works specifically when asking someone to do something while letting them know it’s not urgent. “Whenever you can” indicates that they should do the task in question at a time that’s most convenient for them. “Give me a call whenever you can—it’d be nice to catch up!” “Send along that data whenever you can! I’d like to take a look at it.”

"It’s not urgent." “It’s not urgent” is a little more formal-sounding, so you might use this phrase at work with a colleague or employee when you want them to know they don’t have to get something done right away. “It’s not urgent, but I was hoping you could update some documents. Let me know when you have time!” “Think you could work on a project this week? It’s not urgent, so no pressure at all.”

Can “No rush” be sarcastic?”

Generally, “No rush” is not used sarcastically. Normally, “No rush” is meant to be a genuine way to tell someone to take their time. So, don’t assume a person is being sarcastic when they say “No rush” unless they say something else after that makes it clear they actually do want you to hurry up. For example, if you say you’ll be done with something soon and someone says, “No rush,” it’s safe to assume they’re being earnest and telling you not to rush yourself. Conversely, if they say, “No rush—it’s not like I’ve already been waiting for half an hour,” they’re probably expressing impatience (although they’re doing it in a rude, sarcastic way).

What does no-rush shipping mean?

No-rush shipping means getting a discount or reward for slower delivery. If you see a store (like Amazon or DoorDash, for example) offering “no rush” shipping, that essentially means you can opt for a longer delivery time on your order (so it’ll take longer to get), but get certain rewards for the inconvenience. This typically involves free shipping, a discount on the order, or free rewards in your account. No-rush shipping is intended for customers who aren’t in a hurry to get their order and don’t mind getting it later than they usually would. Each store offers different rewards and discounts for no-rush shipping, so be sure to check and see what incentives you’ll get before using it!