urge
Americanverb (used with object)
-
urges,
present (3rd person singular)
-
urged,
past participle, past
-
urging
present participle
-
to push or force along; impel with force or vigor.
to urge the cause along.
- Antonyms:
- deter
-
to drive with incitement to speed or effort.
to urge dogs on with shouts.
- Antonyms:
- deter
-
to press, push, or hasten (the course, activities, etc.).
to urge one's escape.
- Antonyms:
- deter
-
to impel, constrain, or move to some action.
urged by necessity.
- Antonyms:
- discourage
-
to endeavor to induce or persuade, as by entreaties; entreat or exhort earnestly.
to urge a person to greater caution.
- Antonyms:
- discourage
-
to press (something) upon the attention.
to urge a claim.
-
to insist on, allege, or assert with earnestness.
to urge the need of haste.
- Synonyms:
- asseverate, aver
-
to press by persuasion or recommendation, as for acceptance, performance, or use; recommend or advocate earnestly.
to urge a plan of action.
verb (used without object)
-
urges,
present (3rd person singular)
-
urged,
past participle, past
-
urging
present participle
-
to exert a driving or impelling force; give an impulse to haste or action.
Hunger urges.
-
to make entreaties or earnest recommendations.
-
to press arguments or allegations, as against a person, action, or cause.
The senator urged against the confirmation of the appointment.
noun
-
urges
plural
-
an act of urging; impelling action, influence, or force; impulse.
-
an involuntary, natural, or instinctive impulse.
the sex urge.
verb
-
(tr) to plead, press, or move (someone to do something)
we urged him to surrender
-
(tr; may take a clause as object) to advocate or recommend earnestly and persistently; plead or insist on
to urge the need for safety
-
(tr) to impel, drive, or hasten onwards
he urged the horses on
-
archaic (tr) to stimulate, excite, or incite
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
urgesimple
-
urgessimple
-
have urgedperfect
-
has urgedperfect
-
am urgingprogressive
-
are urgingprogressive
-
is urgingprogressive
-
have been urgingperfect progressive
-
has been urgingperfect progressive
Past
-
urgedsimple
-
had urgedperfect
-
was urgingprogressive
-
were urgingprogressive
-
had been urgingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of urge
First recorded in 1550–60, urge is from the Latin word urgēre to press, force, drive, urge
Explanation
If you have an urge to eat candy, you really want to eat those sweets. Your mother might urge you to wait until after dinner. As a noun, urge means a desire. As a verb, it means to strongly encourage. Urge is related to the word, urgent, or 'pressing.' An urge is a pressing want, one that is almost a compulsion, like when you're so frustrated, you have the urge to scream. If you urge someone to do something, you feel strongly about it. You might urge a friend to wear an orange shirt not because you happen to like orange, but because they're walking in the woods during hunting season.
Vocabulary lists containing urge
Michelle Obama's Speech at the 2016 DNC
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Purple Hibiscus
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Beowulf vocabulary
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
It is vital the devices stay hidden, she said, adding: "We would urge the government to forewarn the public that alerts might be issued, when possible."
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
That these customers could resist the urge to step a few paces outside to see the real thing still amazes me 55 years later.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Weigh those cons against the things AI has reliably proven it can do – cheat on homework and write janky code – and it’s easy to understand Sanders’ urge to stand and yell “stop!”
From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026
“You must rewire your brain. I … urge … you,” she enunciated.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
Michael felt the urge to sneeze—he was still getting over his stupid summer cold—and his eyes watered.
From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly
But when Leontes urges Hermione to second his appeal, her pretty blandishments ultimately succeed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
Unwilling to join the voyeuristic crowd, Ms. Sampson urges readers to understand Sand’s socially transgressive behaviors in a less sensational context.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
Lee says Carl Jung’s explorations of a person’s darker urges, hidden side and projection directly influenced the writing, especially when confronting those aspects in Lee himself.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
The ministry urges residents in the affected areas to avoid exposure to heat and direct sunlight during the hottest hours between 11:00 and 18:00, stay indoors and drink plenty of fluids.
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026
As he urges the horse on, he is gentle for fear the ruts and the muddy road will cause her to fall forward or brush him in some way.
From "Jazz" by Toni Morrison
Sarah Lodge Tally, a retired lawyer and company director who lives in Nashville, said her parents urged her to look outside the company for work when she was growing up.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
Defense attorney Errol Cook urged jurors to acquit his client of murder.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
Tom Rutland, East Worthing and Shoreham MP, earlier urged people to stay away from the area while emergency services dealt with the incident.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
Granada mayor Marifran Carazo urged people to stay at home and "above all, if there is another tremor, avoid going outside and standing alongside buildings".
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
I urged my horse on and caught up with her, tasting a little grit in my teeth from the dusty road.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
Come Monday, at his friend’s urging, he was in South Pittsburg interviewing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
"Experts point out that it is possible for seismic movements and aftershocks to continue in the area," the head of the regional government, Juan Manuel Moreno, wrote on X, urging "maximum caution".
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
“I’m urging the Canadian government to recognize that California doesn’t agree with these tariff wars, to lift these restrictions and increase consumer options to strengthen both our economies.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
Karina Ferreira, manager of El Rey del Pescado, reopened the restaurant in the quake-battered region at the urging of the restaurant’s workers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
When Hermes was urging Prometheus to give in to Zeus he spoke of this, but in such a way as to make it seem an incredible sacrifice:—
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
