budge

¹

[buhj]

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.

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

[buhj]

noun

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

adjective

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

2. Obsolete.,  pompous; solemn.

Budge

³

[buhj]

noun

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

budge

¹

/ bʌdʒ /

verb

1. to move, however slightly

   the car won't budge

2. to change or cause to change opinions, etc

Budge

²

/ 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)

budge

³

/ bʌdʒ /

noun

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

Other Word Forms

• budger noun
• unbudged adjective
• unbudging adjective

Word History and Origins

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of budge¹

C16: from Old French bouger , from Vulgar Latin bullicāre (unattested) to bubble, from Latin bullīre to boil, from bulla bubble

Origin of budge²

C14: from Anglo-French bogee , of obscure origin

Example Sentences

That was what persuaded then Prime Minister David Cameron to agree to the 2014 referendum - and the first minister thinks a similar outcome would force the current PM to budge.

Read more on BBC

“The U.S. is under serious pressure to sell agriculture to China and China isn’t budging,” she said.

Read more on Barron's

Even as corporate bosses cut back on remote work and ratchet up in-office mandates, average office attendance has barely budged across U.S. workplaces.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Analysts don't expect either side to budge without pressure from everyday Americans, most of whom have yet to feel direct impacts on their lives.

Read more on BBC

Neither side in Congress shows any signs of budging, with the House not even expected to have votes this week.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bend