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

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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

This week’s hot U.S. inflation report sent a shudder through global markets, but bets that it would nudge the Federal Reserve to raise rates at the end of this month are fading.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

It’s concerning how much data these agents need—and nudge you to share—to be truly helpful.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026

Gates also said we should consider taxing AI tokens and robots, which could nudge businesses toward hiring people instead of betting on more machines.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 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

I knew my master had fallen into despair when he took the herdsmen’s first offer without so much as a higgling nudge or a haggling speech.

From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri

The Kospi in South Korea nudged up 0.3% but continued to trade near lows not seen since April.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

The dollar nudged higher while bitcoin rose slightly to trade around $81,600.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

My friend quickly paid me for the recent dinner after I casually nudged her in our group chat.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026

Bitcoin nudged back above $83,000, while New York gold futures were little moved at $4,141 a troy ounce.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026

Fig nudged against my leg with a pathetic “meow” and settled on top of my sock-covered feet.

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

But while it has become almost impulsive to at least suggest covering the group tab, nudging friends to pay me back hasn’t gotten any less uncomfortable.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026

More than 30,000 tickets were sold for Old Trafford at Trinity's end, nudging the attendance past 71,000 for the sold-out showpiece that guaranteed a new name on the trophy for the second year running.

From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026

“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

A strong wind blows behind me, nudging my wet sneakers closer to the ledge.

From "Sparrow" by Sarah Moon

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