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

Neither of them could keep from nudging at propriety, always eager to see what lay beneath. —Daisy Rockwell, Vogue, 27 Nov. 2025

This can nudge the raw PUE metric upward. —Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 27 Nov. 2025

In an effort to nudge his clients to part ways with some of their beloved trinkets, Berk highlights how the items are impacting not only their home, but their personal lives too. —Natalia Senanayake, PEOPLE, 26 Nov. 2025

Sprinkle the salt mixture all over the turkey, including inside the cavity, patting to adhere and nudging some into the crevices. —The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Nov. 2025

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