What does "urge" mean?
A strong desire to do something.
Urge
/ɜːd͡ʒ/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A strong desire to do something.
- Grammar: urge is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: impulse, abet, accelerate, accelerate.
- Useful contrasts: apathy, block, deter.
- Usage evidence: All of these sports and many others are dominated by the human urge to aim at something.
How to use "urge"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "urge" 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 "urge" 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 "urge" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "urge" 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 "urge" 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 "impulse" 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 "urge", 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 strong desire to do something.
"After seeing the advert for a soft drink, I had a sudden urge to buy a bottle."
- 2 a strong restless desire wordnet
- 3 an instinctive motive wordnet
Verb
- 1 To press; to push; to drive; to impel; to force onward. transitive
"Lo hapless Tydeus, whose ill-fated hand / Had slain his brother, leaves his native land, / And seized with horror in the shades of night, / Through the thick deserts headlong urged his flight[…]"
- 2 force or impel in an indicated direction wordnet
- 3 To put mental pressure on; to ply with motives, arguments, persuasion, or importunity. transitive
"My boss urged me to reconsider my decision to leave the company, even offering a pay rise."
- 4 spur on or encourage especially by cheers and shouts wordnet
- 5 To provoke; to exasperate. transitive
"Vrge not my fathers anger (Eglamoure) / But thinke vpon my griefe (a Ladies griefe) / And on the iuſtice of my flying hence, / To keepe me from a moſt vnholy match, / Which heauen and fortune ſtill rewards with plagues."
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 push for something wordnet
- 7 To press hard upon; to follow closely. transitive
"Man ? and for ever ? wretch ! what wouldst thou have ? / Heir urges heir, like wave impelling wave."
- 8 To present in an urgent manner; to insist upon. transitive
"to urge an argument; to urge the necessity of a case"
- 9 To treat with forcible means; to take severe or violent measures with. obsolete, transitive
"to urge an ore with intense heat"
- 10 To press onward or forward. transitive
- 11 To be pressing in argument; to insist; to persist. transitive
Antonyms
Example
"All of these sports and many others are dominated by the human urge to aim at something."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "urge"?
Common synonyms include: impulse, abet, accelerate, accelerate, adduce, adjured.
How do you use "urge" in a sentence?
All of these sports and many others are dominated by the human urge to aim at something.
How do you pronounce "urge"?
Pronounced /ɜːd͡ʒ/.
Etymology
From Latin urgeō (“urge”).