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

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

But while American lawmakers nudge artificial-intelligence companies to add mental-health guardrails, Beijing is taking a heavier hand.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026

This same low pressure will nudge further north over the week ahead, so the chance of thundery showers will also extend north, affecting southern England and southern Wales on Tuesday, then the Midlands into Wednesday.

From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026

It will be a nudge to those at the top of the WSL to watch their backs as London City - and Putellas - hope to compete for a European spot.

From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026

Seeing them sneer and nudge each other and whisper in each other’s ears while I’m talking.

From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler

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

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 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

Finally, she stepped closer to her husband and gently nudged him aside.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026

The pair traded breaks at the start of the second before Eala nudged ahead and, after going 0-40 down on serve, delighted fans on Centre Court by forcing a deciding set.

From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026

Lumpy nudged past me in the hall and trotted into Conner’s room.

From "Keep It Together, Keiko Carter" by Debbi Michiko Florence

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

With temperatures nudging 40C, there have been some comparisons to the historic heatwave of July 2022 when the UK recorded 40C for the first time.

From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026

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

“C’mon, Zoe. Talk to us,” Dad said, gently nudging me with his shoulder.

From "From the Desk of Zoe Washington" by Janae Marks