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:
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
Smoke from the fire drifted across both sides of the Solent, prompting fire crews to urge people to keep doors and windows shut.
From BBC ● 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
“You must rewire your brain. I … urge … you,” she enunciated.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
We haven’t spoken in over a year, ever since their families converted, but now I feel an urge to wish them well.
From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar
Like other tour guides, Giusto always urges tourists to stay hydrated, wear a hat and sunscreen.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
Singhi urges former heavy smokers to have annual lung-cancer screenings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
Lee co-founded the "Clinical Peptides Society" and started a petition called "Save Peptides" which has garnered nearly 10,000 signatures and urges federal legislators to loosen restrictions on peptides.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
Robert Pattinson’s oily suitor woos Penelope like a “Bachelorette” contestant: “It’s time to live again,” he urges her, certain that Penelope’s vengeful husband won’t come back.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
“Looks like we got ourselves a bit of a Confederate standoff,” I say, ignoring the voice inside that urges me to hurry.
From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland
William had been urged to seize the throne by politically influential English Protestants, and James chose to flee rather than fight, making the eventual coup bloodless.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
Hawaii Gov. Josh Green urged residents to shelter in place as rainfall reached 2 inches an hour in some areas.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
Residents were repeatedly urged by officials to prepare for the storm early.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi said Friday his administration had spent days preparing the area for the impact of the storm, and urged residents to be ready.
From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026
Pieret urged the portrait’s thief not to sell the painting but to confide in the Paris-Journal.
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
Hicks’ rare public move urging low-polling Democratic candidates, which included every minority candidate of color in the race, to consider their viability sparked widespread controversy during the primary.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
Less than a month later, the owners decided to reopen, largely at the urging of the workers — who, like so many others here, were left without jobs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
He has since written to Burnham, urging him to reconsider the proposal.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
During the World Cup, multiple buyers described StubHub representatives repeatedly urging them to the stadium without tickets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
It was like they were urging me on.
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
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.
