Urdu

noun

Ur·​du ˈu̇r-(ˌ)dü  ˈər- 

: an Indo-Aryan language that has the same colloquial basis as standard Hindi, is an official language of Pakistan, and is widely used by Muslims in urban areas of India

Examples of Urdu in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Danyal and Lucky were together prior to the events of the series, but his failures in handling Raj’s case led Lucky to deliver a memorable line in Urdu that was actually written by Shaikh. — Joe Otterson, Variety, 29 May 2026

The word hijra likely comes from the Urdu language (and perhaps earlier from Persian). — Charles Preston, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 May 2026

And about 60% of families residing in Niles Township are multilingual, with the most common languages spoken in their homes besides English being Urdu, Spanish, Assyrian and Arabic. — Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 13 May 2026

Elham overheard enough of their Urdu to realize that the officers were familiar with the names of his family. — George Packer, The Atlantic, 13 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Hindi & Urdu urdū, from Persian zabān-e-urdū-e-muallā language of the Exalted Camp (the imperial bazaar in Delhi)

First Known Use

1796, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for Urdu

• accrue
• ado
• ainu
• aircrew
• airscrew
• anew
• askew
• baboo
• babu
• bamboo
• beaucoup
• bijou