urgent

adjective

ur·​gent ˈər-jənt 

1

a

: calling for immediate attention : pressing

urgent appeals

problems of an urgent nature

an urgent need

b

: conveying a sense of urgency

an urgent voice

2

: urging insistently : importunate

an urgent lover

urgently adverb

Synonyms of urgent

• acute
• pressing
• dire
• intense
• compelling
• emergent
• desperate
• critical

Examples of urgent in a Sentence

We've come to deliver an urgent message.

an urgent appeal for assistance

He addressed us in an urgent manner.

An urgent voice came over the intercom, telling us to leave the building immediately.

Recent Examples on the Web

Champion, 64, returned to the morning talk show on Wednesday, March 25, after taking a few days off for an urgent heart procedure. —Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026

Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns is pushing to rescue one of his top priorities from the Capitol’s end-of-session maneuvering, warning that Georgia’s literacy crisis is too urgent to get hobbled by political bargaining. —Greg Bluestein, AJC.com, 25 Mar. 2026

That has become urgent as TV generally has lost its hold on viewers, particularly in cable and broadcast television. —Phil Wahba, Fortune, 25 Mar. 2026

That combination of high rates, elevated prices and other economic woes has made the idea of getting out of debt feel more urgent than ever. —Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin urgent-, urgens, present participle of urgēre

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing urgent

• urgent care

Rhymes for urgent

• serjeant
• convergent
• detergent
• divergent
• emergent
• insurgent
• resurgent

Kids Definition

urgent

adjective

ur·​gent ˈər-jənt 

1

a

: calling for immediate attention : pressing

an urgent need for food

b

: indicating an urgent desire or need

an urgent manner

2

: urging very earnestly

urgently adverb