What does "nudge" mean?
A gentle push.
Nudge
/nʌd͡ʒ/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A gentle push.
- Grammar: nudge is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: actuate, adjust, aid to navigation, alarm.
- Useful contrasts: barge, coercion, discourage.
- Usage evidence: We have to nudge him to do the right thing.
How to use "nudge"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "nudge" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "nudge" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "nudge" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "nudge" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "nudge" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "actuate" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "nudge", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A gentle push.
"give someone a nudge"
- 2 Alternative form of nudzh. alt-of, alternative
"Grace is portrayed as an overly neurotic nudge who recites her own poetry, loves complicated situations, and is in the process of coming out to her liberal, middle class, Jewish parents."
- 3 a slight push or shake wordnet
- 4 A feature of instant messaging software used to get the attention of another user, as by shaking the conversation window or playing a sound. Internet
- 5 The rotation by one step of a fruit machine reel of the player's choice.
"Since the machine was showing two lemons and a cherry, I decided to try a nudge."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 The use of positive reinforcement and indirect suggestions as ways to influence.
"All this experimentation is yielding insights into which nudges give the biggest shove. One question is whether nudges can be designed to harness existing social norms. In Copenhagen Pelle Guldborg Hansen, founder of the Danish Nudging Network, a non-profit organisation, tested two potential “social nudges” in partnership with the local government, both using symbols to try to influence choices."
Verb
- 1 To push against gently, especially in order to gain attention or give a signal. transitive
"Libertarian paternalism is the view that, because the way options are presented to citizens affects what they choose, society should present options in a way that “nudges” our intuitive selves to make choices that are more consistent with what our more deliberative selves would have chosen if they were in control."
- 2 push into action by pestering or annoying gently wordnet
- 3 To near or come close to something. transitive
"This year's profits are nudging the 10 million mark."
- 4 to push against gently wordnet
- 5 To move slightly. transitive
"But a serious public health and economic crisis, and the responses to it from commonwealth and state governments, seems to have nudged some “protest” voters back into the major party fold."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"We have to nudge him to do the right thing."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "nudge"?
Common synonyms include: actuate, adjust, aid to navigation, alarm, alter, amber light.
How do you use "nudge" in a sentence?
We have to nudge him to do the right thing.
How do you pronounce "nudge"?
Pronounced /nʌd͡ʒ/.
Etymology
Circa 17th century, perhaps of North Germanic origin, related to Norwegian nugge, nyggje (“to push, rub, shove”), Icelandic nugga (“to rub, massage”), from the root of Proto-Germanic *hnōjaną (“to smooth, join together”), from Proto-Indo-European *kneh₂- (compare Ancient Greek κνάω (knáō, “to scratch, scrape”), source of English acnestis). Compare also Scots nodge (“to push, poke, nudge”), knidge (“to push, squeeze”), gnidge (“to rub, press, squeeze, bruise”), and knudge (“to squeeze, press down with the knuckles”), Saterland Frisian Nukke, Nuk (“a sudden push”), Middle Low German nucke, nücke, gnücke (“a sudden push, shock, impetus”). Compare also dialectal nuch (“to tremble”), Middle English nuchen (“to tremble”).