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

Verb

Gee refused to budge, saying the 10-year ban was firm and accusing the national organizations of encouraging the break. — Brittany Shammas, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026

Yet even after decades of mass shootings, federal gun policy has barely budged. — Jillian Turanovic, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026

Of course, there is the possibility that, even faced with these new costs, Putin will still refuse to budge. — Eric Ciaramella, Foreign Affairs, 14 Oct. 2026

But Vaccarello, like Hedi Slimane before him, would not budge. — Merle Ginsberg, HollywoodReporter, 12 Oct. 2026

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