Urge

/ɜːrdʒ/

Meaning & Definition

noun
A strong desire or impulse to do something.
He felt an urge to travel the world after he graduated.
A strong inclination or insistence on a particular way of acting.
She had an urge to eat chocolate after a stressful day.
verb
To strongly encourage or persuade someone to do something.
The teacher urged her students to complete their assignments on time.
To persistently try to convince someone to do something.
He urged his friend to join him on the hiking trip.
To drive or push someone toward a particular action.
The felt need for community urged her to volunteer at the local shelter.

Etymology

Middle English, from Old French 'urger' and Latin 'urgere' meaning to press.

Common Phrases and Expressions

urge on
To encourage someone to act or move forward.
urge to action
A compelling motivation to take action.
follow your urges
To act on your instincts or desires.

Related Words

impulse
A sudden strong and unreflective urge to act.
desire
A strong feeling of wanting to have something or wishing for something to happen.
compel
To force or drive someone to do something.

Slang Meanings

To push someone to do something, often informally.
He kept urging me to try the new restaurant.
To nag or insist on action.
Stop urging me, I’ll do it when I’m ready.