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
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Purple Hibiscus
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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:
Ahead of this 3-1 or 3-2 base, wingers are asked to stay high and wide, resisting the urge to leave their position.
From BBC ● 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
Despite the upcoming relief in SoCal, weather officials urge residents to remain vigilant throughout the week and stay hydrated.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
Meanwhile, extreme investor bullishness has reached levels that have historically preceded sharp pullbacks, prompting some analysts to urge caution.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
I don’t know where my sudden urge for information came from, but Dad did just call me amazing.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
But she urges supporters not to feel sorry for her.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 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
December 28: Boeing urges airlines to undertake inspections after an international operator discovered a bolt with a missing nut while performing routine maintenance.
From Barron's ● 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
The Icelandic Chess Federation urges the President of the United States to pardon Bobby Fischer and let him go free.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
Swinney urged by council chief to help tackle 'jobs crisis'
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday urged consumers not to eat alfalfa sprouts grown by Everything Sprouts and sold under the Calco and Everything Sprouts brands.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
In May she urged Mexicans not to watch TV Azteca, a private station that regularly assails the government.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio da Silva urged US counterpart Donald Trump in a phone call on Friday to resolve their countries' trade dispute, saying US tariffs were imposed on "baseless" grounds.
From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026
Curse him, Titan! the arai urged, their red eyes gleaming.
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
Civic experts are urging regular voters to help debunk misinformation about voting within their communities.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026
The family are now urging parents to consider organ donation should they lose a child and thanked the hospital staff and others who have supported them.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
One Washington-based group, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, is urging lawmakers to commit to no new borrowing and, from there, to agree on a fiscal goal for the country.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026
Liquid Death and the Kelce brothers’ Garage Beer released an elaborate musical ad urging consumers to cool down AI data centers with pee.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
Ms. Bethune cleared her throat, urging everyone to settle down.
From "Shooting Kabul" by N. H. Senzai
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.
