urge
Americanverb (used with object)
-
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)
-
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
-
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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Beowulf vocabulary
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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.
In other words, the relentless urge to binge might not be a psychological failing or a lack of willpower but a measurable hormonal deficit that drugs might be able to treat.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 8, 2026
As they do yearly, Marine biologists and wildlife officials urge fans to respect Neil’s privacy and let him molt: The more peace he gets, the more we can look forward to his next visit.
From Salon • Jul. 7, 2026
Asked by CNN whether he would condemn the group and what they stand for, and whether he would urge President Donald Trump to do the same, Burgum couched his language carefully.
From Barron's • Jul. 5, 2026
She said: "We urge those involved to do the right thing, return the sapling, or come forward."
From BBC • Jun. 30, 2026
Corps members are divided by skill—writers, interpreters, and artists—and are told to develop messages that urge the town’s inhabitants to come down from the nearby hills and mountains where they have sought refuge.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
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.
