button pusher

noun

Etymology

In the provoker sense, by a metaphor in which the recipient's emotions can be manipulated on command as if prompted by literal control buttons. Thus also tangentially comparable with a puppet master who is pulling the strings to manipulate puppets.

Definitions

  1. Someone who pushes someone else's buttons

    Someone who pushes someone else's buttons: someone who goads, annoys, provokes, etc.

    • Near-synonyms: gadfly, goader, provocateur, provoker
    • When you're dealing with Tom, you need to keep in mind that he can be a button pusher sometimes. Stay cool, and don't reinforce that behavior.
  2. A low-skilled or unskilled worker

    A low-skilled or unskilled worker: someone from whom one can expect little or nothing more than rote pushing of buttons (not showing, for example, critical thinking, insight, or leadership).

    • Bill has been working here for 4 years and is looking for ways to upskill. He says he doesn't want to be a button pusher forever.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for button pusher. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA