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

This is made more urgent by an approaching moral crisis around race in America. — Charles Grantham, Sportico.com, 3 Aug. 2026

As satisfying as the simulation is, the real-world challenge of space debris removal is both more constrained and more urgent. — Alan Bradley, Space.com, 2 Aug. 2026

Other European Union countries called for urgent talks and a coordinated response to the situation in Ceuta. — Arkansas Online, 2 Aug. 2026

Most importantly, slow down before reacting to an urgent demand. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 2 Aug. 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

• 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