nudge

¹ American  

[nuhj] / nʌdʒ /

verb (used with object)

nudged, nudging

1. to push slightly or gently, especially with the elbow, to get someone's attention, prod someone into action, etc.

   Synonyms:

   jog, poke, elbow

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verb (used without object)

nudged, nudging

1. to give a nudge.

noun

1. a slight or gentle push or jog, especially with the elbow.

nudge ² American  

[nooj] / nʊdʒ /

Or noodge,

verb (used with object)

nudged, nudging

1. to annoy with persistent complaints, criticisms, or pleas; nag.

   He was always nudging his son to move to a better neighborhood.

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verb (used without object)

nudged, nudging

1. to nag, whine, or carp.

noun

1. a person who nudges; pest.

nudge British  

/ nʌdʒ /

verb

1. to push or poke (someone) gently, esp with the elbow, to get attention; jog

2. to push slowly or lightly

   as I drove out, I just nudged the gatepost

3. to give (someone) a gentle reminder or encouragement

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noun

1. a gentle poke or push

2. a gentle reminder

Usage

Where does the word nudge come from? As our definitions show above, nudge is a verb meaning "to push slightly or gently, specifically with an elbow when doing so literally, in order to get someone's attention or to prod someone along." A nudge is also a noun, meaning "a slight or gentle push or jog, especially with the elbow."But as far as we’re concerned, the origin of the word nudge could certainly stand to budge, as it's often considered obscure. However, we suspect nudge, found by 1665–75, comes from a dialectical variation of knidge or nidge, related to the Old English cnucian or cnocian, meaning "to knock." Every now and again, maybe a stubborn word origin just needs a little ... nudge. Nudge isn’t alone: it finds lots of company in other English words that seem simple but whose origins are not. Discover more in our slideshow “‘Dog,’ ‘Boy,’ And Other Words That We Don’t Know Where They Came From."

Other Word Forms

• nudger
  noun

Etymology

Origin of nudge¹

1665–75; variant of dial. ( k ) nidge, akin to Old English cnucian, cnocian to knock

Origin of nudge²

1875–80; < Yiddish, stem of nudyen to bore < Polish nudzić; cf. nudnik

Explanation

Sometimes you just need a little nudge or slight push to get your day going. It might be a coffee, or your favorite song, or your mom stripping the covers and standing over your bed. Take your pick. Some people believe the word nudge comes from the Norwegian dialect nugga meaning "to push, rub." This makes sense, since a nudge is a push of sorts. But it's more of a gentle push. Think of nudging coals around in a fire or a crowd of people nudging to the stage at a concert. When you gently annoy your husband so he'll mow the lawn, you're nudging him along.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

nudge nudged nudging

Gates also said we should consider taxing AI tokens and robots, which could nudge businesses toward hiring people instead of betting on more machines.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026

Yet Schoenbrun’s observations are presented in the film as though they’re opaque, overloaded with smug surrealism and jam-packed with visual stimuli designed to wink and nudge at the otherwise obvious.

From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026

Schmidt said Instagram has introduced tools to help protect children and nudge them into more measured use.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

SpaceX shares nudge up 0.9% premarket to $109.28 after falling nearly 14% Wednesday.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

I barely had to nudge it with my head to put it past the goalkeeper.

From "Facing the Lion" by Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton and Herman Viola

Bitcoin nudged back above $84,000, while New York gold contracts edged up by 0.1%, but held below $4,200 a troy ounce.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026

However, the technology-light Stoxx 600 nudged 0.3% higher in Europe.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

This will become more substantial by Wednesday, stretching across Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and western areas of England, as high pressure is nudged a bit further east.

From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026

My thoughts were elsewhere as I zoomed past the spot on my household mission, but a voice from the past nudged me to reconsider.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

Mr. Garner combed his thinning hair to the side and the twins smirked as they waved to the camera before their dad slightly nudged them from the back and they took on a somber pose.

From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova

More than 30,000 tickets were sold for Old Trafford at Trinity's end, nudging the attendance past 71,000 for the sold-out showpiece that guaranteed a new name on the trophy for the second year running.

From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026

This is an uncomplicated yarn about a man prying open his heart and nudging other hard nuts to do the same.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026

It is also nudging up global temperatures in a year predicted to be the hottest on record.

From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026

Human matchmakers say that nudging their clients beyond a strict checklist of what they think they want is core to their practice.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026

“Wake up,” I whispered, nudging Maribel as the driver turned into a parking lot.

From "The Book of Unknown Americans" by Cristina Henríquez