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

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

Every time Claude got stuck, Sumner gave it a nudge.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 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

SpaceX shares nudge up 0.9% premarket to $109.28 after falling nearly 14% Wednesday.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

So while Trafford will hope his possible high-profile move will help him add to his two England caps, he has work to do to nudge Pickford aside as England's first-choice goalkeeper.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

She can’t even nudge it enough to let light in, and with dawning horror, she realizes their giant oak tree must have fallen on top of the cellar.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

She nudged the anxious calf to her side and they trotted briskly away.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026

Henkel, meanwhile, nudged up its sales guidance for the year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

The company’s second-quarter results on Tuesday broadly topped Wall Street’s estimates, and management nudged its financial outlook higher for the year.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026

They created two chances in the first half that should have been buried, but Pierre Landry Kabore shot straight at the keeper and Alexandros Kyziridis nudged his effort wide when one-on-one.

From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026

He tilted his head down and nudged his glasses with his shoulder, but they didn’t straighten.

From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat

She watched intently perched on a bench at the very front of the room, at times shrieking and nudging her sister as she pointed at the cafe’s new large flat-screen that loomed overhead.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026

While opinion polls suggested the vote could be tight, the latest surveys indicated opposition to the proposal nudging ahead.

From Barron's ● Jun. 14, 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

And behind the scenes, Chinese officials have been gently nudging their Iranian counterparts towards the negotiation table.

From BBC ● May 11, 2026

Leo tinkered with his sphere, tapping and nudging one of the jewels on its surface.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan