verge

[ vurj ]

/ vɜrdʒ /

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See synonyms for: verge / verging on Thesaurus.com

noun

the edge, rim, or margin of something: the verge of a desert; to operate on the verge of fraud.

the limit or point beyond which something begins or occurs; brink: on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

a limiting belt, strip, or border of something.

British. a narrow strip of turf bordering on a pathway, sidewalk, roadway, etc.

a decorative border, as on or around an object, structural part, etc.

limited room or scope for something: an action within the verge of one's abilities.

an area or district subject to a particular jurisdiction.

History/Historical. an area or district in England embracing the royal palace, being the jurisdiction of the Marshalsea Court.

the part of a sloping roof that projects beyond the gable wall.

Architecture. the shaft of a column or colonette.

a rod, wand, or staff, especially one carried as an emblem of authority or of the office of a bishop, dean, or the like.

Horology. a palletlike lever formerly used in inexpensive pendulum clocks.

Obsolete. a stick or wand held in the hand of a person swearing fealty to a feudal lord on being admitted as a tenant.

verb (used without object), verged, verg·ing.

to be on the edge or margin; border: Our property verges on theirs.

to come close to or be in transition to some state, quality, etc. (usually followed by on): a statesman who verged on greatness; a situation that verged on disaster.

verb (used with object), verged, verg·ing.

to serve as the verge or boundary of: a high hedge verging the yard.

OTHER WORDS FOR verge

1 brim, lip, brink.

See synonyms for verge on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of verge

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English virge, verge “shaft, column, rod (hence boundary or jurisdiction symbolized by a steward's rod), rod of office, penis,” from Middle French, from Latin virga “shoot, twig, branch, rod”

Other definitions for verge (2 of 2)

verge²

[ vurj ]

/ vɜrdʒ /

verb (used without object), verged, verg·ing.

to incline; tend (usually followed by to or toward): The economy verges toward inflation.

to slope or sink.

Origin of verge

First recorded in 1600–10; from Latin vergere “to turn, bend, be inclined”

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use verge in a sentence

Luminar, the buzzy sensor startup that is on the verge of becoming a publicly traded company, locked in a supplier deal to furnish Intel subsidiary Mobileye with lidar for its fleet of autonomous vehicles.
Mobileye taps Luminar to supply lidar for its robotaxi fleet|Kirsten Korosec|November 20, 2020|TechCrunch
Washington could be on the verge of a seismic shift in power as final votes are being tallied in the presidential election, but the dynamics around economic relief talks that have sputtered on and off for months do not appear to have changed.
Stimulus talks set to resume in Washington, but Pelosi and McConnell are at odds again|Erica Werner|November 6, 2020|Washington Post
With the Penn State men’s basketball team on the verge of making the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2011, Lucchesi predicted this would be the best year yet.
Football is back in Happy Valley. The coronavirus never left.|Kent Babb|October 30, 2020|Washington Post
Over the course of three hours, the drivers took control more than a dozen times, including at least two cases when the car seemed to be on the verge of crashing into another vehicle.
“Oh Jeeeesus”: Drivers react to Tesla’s full self-driving beta release|Timothy B. Lee|October 30, 2020|Ars Technica

Finally, there’s a category of interventions that might be marginally useful but verge on pandemic theater.
How to make restaurants safer during the pandemic|Charlotte Jee|October 28, 2020|MIT Technology Review
After Vietnam, it was axiomatic that the press would approach those in power with a skepticism verging on cynicism.
Nixon, Obama, and How We Lost Trust in the U.S. Government|Stuart Stevens|October 31, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Early on, that seemed like a cool effect, because it really highlighted the reaction, but it lacks anything verging on subtlety.
‘Beyond: Two Souls’ Review|Alec Kubas-Meyer|October 10, 2013|DAILY BEAST
And the color of the meat itself was a rich red verging on purple.
My Horsemeat Lunch|Christopher Dickey|February 27, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Lapid may be malleable, but Bennett was without question on the hard-right, verging on undemocratic.
A Vote Against Bibi, Not His Policies|Ali Gharib|January 22, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The attacks were personal, sometimes sarcastic, sometimes even verging on nativist (who knew Democrats hated Switzerland so much).
Peter Beinart: The Democratic Convention’s Message Discipline|Peter Beinart|September 5, 2012|DAILY BEAST
For a month before the Protocol was signed the relations between Spaniards and Americans were verging towards a crisis.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
Eloise had not given her age a thought, but, pressed for an answer, ventured the reply that she might be verging on to thirty.
The Cromptons|Mary J. Holmes
The conduct of many of the men, French and English, seemed characterized by a recklessness verging on insanity.
The British Expedition to the Crimea|William Howard Russell
He was of course verging on insanity, and thoughts of suicide passed through his mind.
The Life of Mazzini|Bolton King
Mr. Caryll was an old clergyman reputed in school traditions to be verging on ninety.
Sinister Street, vol. 1|Compton Mackenzie

British Dictionary definitions for verge (1 of 2)

verge¹

/ (vɜːdʒ) /

noun

an edge or rim; margin

a limit beyond which something occurs; brinkon the verge of ecstasy

British a grass border along a road

an enclosing line, belt, or strip

architect the edge of the roof tiles projecting over a gable

architect the shaft of a classical column

an enclosed space

horology the spindle of a balance wheel in a vertical escapement, found only in very early clocks

English legal history

the area encompassing the royal court that is subject to the jurisdiction of the Lord High Steward
a rod or wand carried as a symbol of office or emblem of authority, as in the Church
a rod held by a person swearing fealty to his lord on becoming a tenant, esp of copyhold land

verb

(intr foll by on) to be near (to)to verge on chaos

(when intr, sometimes foll by on) to serve as the edge of (something)this narrow strip verges the road

Word Origin for verge

C15: from Old French, from Latin virga rod

British Dictionary definitions for verge (2 of 2)

verge²

/ (vɜːdʒ) /

verb

(intr; foll by to or towards) to move or incline in a certain direction

Word Origin for verge

C17: from Latin vergere

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with verge

verge

In addition to the idiom beginning with verge

verge on

also see:

on the verge of

verge

OTHER WORDS FOR verge

Origin of verge

Other definitions for verge (2 of 2)

Origin of verge

Words related to verge

How to use verge in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for verge (1 of 2)

Word Origin for verge

British Dictionary definitions for verge (2 of 2)

Word Origin for verge

Other Idioms and Phrases with verge