urged; urging
1
: to present, advocate, or demand earnestly or pressingly
his conviction was upheld on a theory never urged at his … trial—
Leon Friedman
Leon Friedman2
: to undertake the accomplishment of with energy, swiftness, or enthusiasm
urge the attack
3
4
: to force or impel in an indicated direction or into motion or greater speed
the dog urged the sheep toward the gate
: to declare, advance, or press earnestly a statement, argument, charge, or claim
urged for the adoption of the proposal
urger
noun
1
: the act or process of urging
2
: a force or impulse that urges
especially
: a continuing impulse toward an activity or goal
Synonyms
Examples of urge in a Sentence
Verb
He is continually urging reform.
The rescuers urged that we remain calm.
an editorial urging readers to vote
I urge you to reconsider.
A hand on her back urged her forward.
Noun
the urge for something sweet
He fought the urge to cry.
Recent Examples on the WebEmma Colton, Fox News, 4 Apr. 2024
Many snapped their fingers in approval as dozens of speakers — almost all Latino — urged council members to vote for a cease-fire.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2024
Authorities are monitoring for environmental impact of the collapse as climate activists urge for transparency amid recovery efforts.
—Minnah Arshad, USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024
The study’s authors also urge mining companies to avoid their impacts on great apes and for more data collection to create a more accurate picture of where apes live in relation to where mining activities may take place.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 3 Apr. 2024
At the news conference, Gutiérrez urged authorities to investigate the incident.
—Emi Tuyetnhi Tran, NBC News, 3 Apr. 2024
Washington — Special counsel Jack Smith urged a federal judge to keep a presidential recordkeeping law out of instructions that would be provided to the jury in the classified documents case against former President Donald Trump, according to court documents filed by Smith's team late Tuesday.
—Robert Legare, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2024
In Nebraska, owners of private wells are being urged to test their private wells to gather more data on the extent of nitrate contamination.
—Laura Schulte, Journal Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2024
The president also urged lawmakers to pass two measures that have been held up in Congress, a border security agreement and a supplemental funding for national security.
—Jacob Bogage, Washington Post, 23 Mar. 2024
Erika Ebsworth-Goold, Travel + Leisure, 2 Apr. 2024
My urge to scroll through videos of the attack ebbed.
—Ayelet Waldman, The New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2024
This means buying agencies must resist the urge to micromanage the supplier.
—Kate Vitasek, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
For all the young angst coursing through the lyrics — heartache, insecurity, revenge urges, the weight of social expectations — Rodrigo in concert is a joyous, vivacious affair.
—Brian McCollum, Detroit Free Press, 24 Mar. 2024
But as the Promise Keeper teens’ carnal urges begin to rise, that pledge of piety becomes harder to uphold.
—Brittani Samuel, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024
Those who are early in medical training may not have developed the experience and skill to select appropriate testing, and this can lead to a reactive urge to over-test in order to not miss a diagnosis.
—Brandon Peters, Verywell Health, 21 Mar. 2024
By all means, resist the urge to do pushups in your first-week boredom, says Rosenberg.
—Adam Hurly, Robb Report, 19 Mar. 2024
All human beings are susceptible to this urge, not least the members of his own tribe.
—Eyal Press, The New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2024
Verb
His TikTok account is now inactive, but his messages urging fellow migrants to take over homes continue circulating online.
—Emma Colton, Fox News, 4 Apr. 2024
Many snapped their fingers in approval as dozens of speakers — almost all Latino — urged council members to vote for a cease-fire.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2024
Authorities are monitoring for environmental impact of the collapse as climate activists urge for transparency amid recovery efforts.
—Minnah Arshad, USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024
The study’s authors also urge mining companies to avoid their impacts on great apes and for more data collection to create a more accurate picture of where apes live in relation to where mining activities may take place.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 3 Apr. 2024
At the news conference, Gutiérrez urged authorities to investigate the incident.
—Emi Tuyetnhi Tran, NBC News, 3 Apr. 2024
Washington — Special counsel Jack Smith urged a federal judge to keep a presidential recordkeeping law out of instructions that would be provided to the jury in the classified documents case against former President Donald Trump, according to court documents filed by Smith's team late Tuesday.
—Robert Legare, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2024
In Nebraska, owners of private wells are being urged to test their private wells to gather more data on the extent of nitrate contamination.
—Laura Schulte, Journal Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2024
The president also urged lawmakers to pass two measures that have been held up in Congress, a border security agreement and a supplemental funding for national security.
—Jacob Bogage, Washington Post, 23 Mar. 2024
Noun
Resist the urge to wander through the rows for that perfect shot, so your shoes don’t introduce harmful pests.
—Erika Ebsworth-Goold, Travel + Leisure, 2 Apr. 2024
My urge to scroll through videos of the attack ebbed.
—Ayelet Waldman, The New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2024
This means buying agencies must resist the urge to micromanage the supplier.
—Kate Vitasek, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
For all the young angst coursing through the lyrics — heartache, insecurity, revenge urges, the weight of social expectations — Rodrigo in concert is a joyous, vivacious affair.
—Brian McCollum, Detroit Free Press, 24 Mar. 2024
But as the Promise Keeper teens’ carnal urges begin to rise, that pledge of piety becomes harder to uphold.
—Brittani Samuel, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024
Those who are early in medical training may not have developed the experience and skill to select appropriate testing, and this can lead to a reactive urge to over-test in order to not miss a diagnosis.
—Brandon Peters, Verywell Health, 21 Mar. 2024
By all means, resist the urge to do pushups in your first-week boredom, says Rosenberg.
—Adam Hurly, Robb Report, 19 Mar. 2024
All human beings are susceptible to this urge, not least the members of his own tribe.
—Eyal Press, The New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'urge.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near urge
Cite this Entry
“Urge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/urge. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
urge
1 of 2 verb
urged; urging
1
: to ask for or support earnestly
continually urging reform
2
: to try to persuade
urge a guest to stay longer
3
: to force or drive to some course or activity (as greater speed)
riders urging their horses on
urge
2 of 2 noun1
: the act or process of urging
2
: a strong desire especially to achieve a goal
the urge to win
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share