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

---

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.

---

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

---

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

The new auto-enrollment features may nudge more businesses to explain the accounts to staff, said Elbert, even if management isn’t planning its own contributions.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026

It said its foreign ministry made dozens of calls to nudge peace along, and that President Xi Jinping himself had intervened with suggestions to end the fighting.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 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

Suddenly I felt a nudge against my leg.

From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas

Futures for major U.S. indexes all nudged higher after an erratic day of trade Tuesday.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 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

The Apple Watch nudged me to “Go for it,” which was enough motivation to tackle a tough indoor interval workout on the bike.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 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

The old woman nudged the longma to move away: away from Mal and her small, set face.

From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell

“If that’s right, it could mean Shingrix is nudging the whole trajectory of neuroinflammation in a healthier direction.”

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 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

The line is like Nolan nudging his audience to say, check this out: a human pyramid of Greek commandos packed into a dark hollow.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

“Come on, kid,” said Nala, gently nudging Fred toward the door with her snout.

From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein