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

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

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

Schmidt said Instagram has introduced tools to help protect children and nudge them into more measured use.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

Engineers also sometimes need a nudge in the other direction—to avoid being too practical, according to Johnson.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

I barely had to nudge it with my head to put it past the goalkeeper.

From "Facing the Lion" by Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton and Herman Viola

The PPI report nudged the chances of a Fed rate hike next week up to 64% from 62%.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026

In equity markets, futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.35%, while S&P 500 futures nudged up 0.2%.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

Then, showing strength to keep his balance after being nudged by an opponent, he nicked the ball to his left with his right foot, gliding past a second defender.

From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026

In a normal rom-com, this is where Jack would exit stage left as the martyr who nudged Wendy toward her true soulmate.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026

Perilee nudged me into the wagon, climbed up herself, and tucked us under a huge woolen blanket.

From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson

It is also nudging up global temperatures in a year predicted to be the hottest on record.

From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026

Fifty years in the shadows, gently nudging Southland kids into the light.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026

The S&P 500 information technology sector was the best performing, nudging the broader index to a 0.3% gain.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

Deutsche Bank analyst Peter Milliken downgraded the stock from buy to hold while nudging up his price target to 8,700 yen from 8,600 yen.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 2, 2026

Like a mother hen, he gathered up his chicks, sometimes nudging, sometimes snapping, and shooed them out the door.

From "Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool