budge

¹ American  

[buhj] / bʌdʒ /

verb (used without object)

budged, budging

1. to move slightly; begin to move.

   He stepped on the gas but the car didn't budge.

2. to change one's opinion or stated position; yield.

   Once her father had said “no,” he wouldn't budge.

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verb (used with object)

budged, budging

1. to cause to move; begin to move.

   It took three of them to budge the rock.

2. to cause (someone) to reconsider or change an opinion, decision, or stated position.

   They couldn't budge the lawyer.

   Synonyms:

   convince, sway, move, induce, persuade

budge ² American  

[buhj] / bʌdʒ /

noun

1. a fur made from lambskin with the wool dressed outward, used especially as an inexpensive trimming on academic or official gowns.

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adjective

1. made from, trimmed, or lined with budge.

2. Obsolete. pompous; solemn.

Budge ³ American  

[buhj] / bʌdʒ /

noun

1. (John) Donald, 1915–2000, U.S. tennis player.

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budge ¹ British  

/ bʌdʒ /

verb

1. to move, however slightly

   the car won't budge

2. to change or cause to change opinions, etc

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Budge ² British  

/ bʌdʒ /

noun

1. Don ( ald ). 1915–2000, US tennis player, the first man to win the Grand Slam of singles championships (Australia, France, Wimbledon, and the US) in one year (1938)

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budge ³ British  

/ bʌdʒ /

noun

1. a lambskin dressed for the fur to be worn on the outer side

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Other Word Forms

• budger noun
• unbudged adjective
• unbudging adjective

Etymology

Origin of budge¹

1580–90; < Anglo-French, Middle French bouger to stir < Vulgar Latin *bullicāre to bubble, frequentative of Latin bullīre; boil ¹

Origin of budge²

1350–1400; Middle English bugee, perhaps akin to budget

Example Sentences

In the 10 days after fighting began, however, shares in big energy companies barely budged at all.

From Barron's

Haley grew tired, sat down on a rock, and refused to budge.

From The Wall Street Journal

My trusty travel agent stepped in and tried to get me a credit for what I’d overpaid, but she said the cruise line wouldn’t budge beyond about $200 — far below what I expected.

From MarketWatch

They did not budge when I yelled "Go!"

From Literature

Papa knew better than to open his mouth, because once Mama had made up her mind like that, she wouldn’t have budged an inch from a buzzing rattler.

From Literature

Related Words

• bend