budge

1 of 3

noun

ˈbəj 

: a fur formerly prepared from lambskin dressed with the wool outward

budge

2 of 3

verb

budged; budging

intransitive verb

1

: move, shift

the mule wouldn't budge

2

: to give way : yield

wouldn't budge on the issue

transitive verb

: to cause to move or change

budge

3 of 3

adjective

archaic

: pompous, solemn

Synonyms of budge

Verb

• succumb
• concede
• submit
• surrender
• relent
• capitulate

Examples of budge in a Sentence

Verb

Their horses refused to budge.

The door was stuck, and we couldn't even get it to budge.

Could you try opening this jar for me? I can't budge the lid.

We tried to change her mind, but we couldn't budge her.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The iconic blue peel-off stain for all-day lip color feels like nothing on your lips and is transfer-proof, budge-proof and won't feather into lines. — ABC News, 19 May 2026

However, despite endless talks, Beijing never budges, and eventually domestic concerns take precedence as midterms loom. — Charlie Campbell, Time, 7 May 2026

Verb

But in good news for savers, even though the Fed rate hasn’t budged in seven months, other factors have pushed interest rates higher on some low-risk vehicles that can provide healthy returns for your cash. — Jeanne Sahadi, CNN Money, 29 July 2026

Unlike during the coronavirus pandemic, when the country essentially shut down, most indicators of energy consumption, such as traffic congestion, have hardly budged. — Rogé Karma, The Atlantic, 29 July 2026

Adjective

These spritzes have the same no-budge hold on makeup as any other setting mist, but the key difference lies in their radiant—not matte or shimmery—finishes. — Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 21 Apr. 2026

Despite the unprecedented capabilities – and uncanny, seemingly humanlike qualities – of generative AI, the limit on how much human work can be fully automated will continue to only very slowly budge. — Eric Siegel, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English bugee, from Anglo-French buge

Verb

Anglo-French bouger, from Vulgar Latin *bullicare, from Latin bullire to boil — more at boil

Adjective

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1578, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Adjective

1599, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing budge

• give/budge an inch

Rhymes for budge

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

Kids Definition

budge

verb

ˈbəj

budged; budging

1

: move entry 1 sense 1

2

: give in, yield

wouldn't budge on their opinion