nudge

verb

ˈnəj 

nudged; nudging

transitive verb

1

: to touch or push gently

… nudged the cue ball with the tip of the cue.

—Paul Theroux

especially : to seek the attention of by a push of the elbow

… nudged Ron in the ribs and pointed at Malfoy …

—J. K. Rowling

2

: to prod lightly : urge into action

… have been nudged into starting their own ventures …

—Janet Bamford

3

: approach

… its circulation is nudging the four million mark …

—Bennett Cerf

intransitive verb

: to give a nudge

She nudged and jostled through the crowd.

nudge noun

nudger noun

Synonyms of nudge

• brush
• kiss
• touch

Examples of nudge in a Sentence

I nudged the plate closer to him.

The guard nudged the prisoner forward.

The dog nudged the ball with his nose.

He nudged me and pointed to the deer.

The salesman nudged her into testing out the car.

Album sales are nudging the one million mark.

The price of gold has nudged a little higher.

Recent Examples on the Web

This concludes a much more low-key episode than the pilot but one that keeps its characters in full view while nudging each mystery carefully forward. — Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026

Fifty years in the shadows, gently nudging Southland kids into the light. — Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2026

Founder Peter Arvad told New Atlas that this was considered, but the team ultimately decided that scoring and gamifying sleep risked an unhealthy relationship with something meant to feel natural, opting to gently nudge better habits instead. — New Atlas, 18 Aug. 2026

Medicare surcharges are triggered by hard income thresholds assessed on a two-year lookback, and a conversion that nudges an individual a single dollar over a bracket can raise premiums for a full year. — Dana Dunkelberger, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1675, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for nudge

• budge
• drudge
• frage
• fudge
• grudge
• judge
• mudge
• rudge
• sludge
• smudge
• trudge
• adjudge

Kids Definition

nudge

verb

ˈnəj 

nudged; nudging

: to touch or push gently

especially : to attract the attention of by a push of the elbow

nudge noun