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

The Treasury market logged a placid session, with yields barely budging, a day before the Labor Department releases delayed figures on October and November inflation.

From The Wall Street Journal

Slow construction, homeowners unwilling to budge, high interest rates and sellers pulling their listings all contributed to low inventory in 2025.

From MarketWatch

Eastern time on Sunday, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were flat, and S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq Composite futures were barely budging higher.

From Barron's

But the fees have barely budged in decades.

From Salon

But a few stubborn kilos just wouldn't budge.

From BBC

Related Words

• bend