nudge

¹

Or noodge,

[nooj]

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.

verb (used without object)

nudged, nudging 

1. to nag, whine, or carp.

noun

1. a person who nudges; pest.

nudge

²

[nuhj]

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

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

/ 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

noun

1. a gentle poke or push

2. a gentle reminder

Other Word Forms

• nudger noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of nudge¹

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

Origin of nudge²

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of nudge¹

C17: perhaps from Scandinavian; compare Icelandic nugga to push

Example Sentences

A rapidly weakening jobs market could nudge the Fed to slash rates further and give the world's biggest economy a boost.

Read more on Barron's

"In Brazil, ironically, it was Oscar who got a penalty for nudging Antonelli, but at least he went for it."

Read more on BBC

Scotland pulled ahead once again after Lawrence Shankland nudged a corner kick into the net, but Denmark fought back until it was 2-2 with 10 minutes remaining.

Read more on BBC

I nudge Autumn and jab a finger in Woo’s direction.

Read more on Literature

After a nudge from Mrs. Clarke, Alexander now offered his kaleidoscope, but Lady Constance waved it away without even looking at the glorious display within.

Read more on Literature

When To Use

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."