exigent

ex·i·gent

adjective \ˈek-sə-jənt\

: requiring immediate attention : needing to be dealt with immediately

: expecting much time, attention, effort, etc., from other people

Full Definition of EXIGENT

1

:  requiring immediate aid or action <exigent circumstances>

2

:  requiring or calling for much :  demanding <an exigent client>

— ex·i·gent·ly adverb

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Examples of EXIGENT

1. <started his workday with a flood of exigent matters that required his quick decision>

Origin of EXIGENT

Latin exigent-, exigens, present participle of exigere to demand — more at exact

First Known Use: 1629

Related to EXIGENT

Synonyms

burning, clamant, compelling, critical, crying, dire, emergent, acute, imperative, imperious, importunate, instant, necessitous, pressing, urgent

Antonyms

noncritical, nonurgent

Related Words

demanding, extreme, immediate, insistent, intense, overriding; crucial, desperate, grave, life-and-death (also life-or-death), serious, severe, vital; dangerous, explosive, hazardous, perilous, precarious, unstable

Near Antonyms

incidental, low-pressure, minor, negligible, trivial, unimportant; nonthreatening, safe, stable