What does push buttons mean?
People in your own family know exactly what buttons to push to cheer you up.
Is this sentence correct?
Cuz I've look it up and knew it means :
1. To deliberately irritate
2. To intentionally provoke another without reason
3. To wear away at the patience of someone until that person wants to
slap you
4. To capitalize on the emotional vulnerabilities of another
so can I use it in a positive way?
Thanks

Question

What does push buttons mean?
People in your own family know exactly what buttons to push to cheer you up. 
Is this sentence correct?
Cuz I've look it up and knew it means :
1. To deliberately irritate 
2. To intentionally provoke another without reason 
3. To wear away at the patience of someone until that person wants to 
slap you 
4. To capitalize on the emotional vulnerabilities of another
so can I use it in a positive way?
Thanks

Answer

I have usually heard this used negatively. It may be difficult to use this in a positive way. A variation of this is "Push the right buttons" when you want to cheer someone up or get someone excited.

Answer

Yes, your sentence is correct. You can use the phrase positively, especially in the way Ty described.

The image is of pressing buttons on a machine or some other electronic device, so the negative meanings come from the idea that someone is operating you, as if you were only a machine.  In your sentence, it seems as if the family is more about getting results or reactions, and less about caring.

Answer

No, this expression is never used positively. The expression "push their buttons" is basically a synonym for "annoy" so if you can't   substitute "annoy" in, then the sentence is wrong.

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