Definition of urgent
1a : calling for immediate attention : pressing urgent appeals an urgent needb : conveying a sense of urgency
2 : urging insistently : importunate
urgently
adverbExplore M-W
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 of urgent from the Web
-
That action is even more urgent now that climate change is causing ocean temperatures to rise while waters also become more acidic, causing widespread destruction of coral reefs that sustain a quarter of all marine species.
-
Immediate shelter options are an increasingly urgent topic.
-
Hospitals sent out urgent calls for more blood to treat many with critical injuries.
-
Proponents of the convention center expansion, which would raise hotel taxes, say there’s an urgent need for additional convention space and the extra money the measure would provide to fight homelessness and help fix San Diego’s crumbling streets.
-
The new species, Earth’s 45th known flying squirrel, also adds to the ongoing tally of our planet’s biodiversity—an increasingly urgent matter, given the high rate of extinctions.
-
In that way federal agents can be directed to the largest and most urgent cases.
-
Though Republicans have been calling for a repeal of the health care law almost since President Barack Obama signed it in 2010, those calls have become more urgent as some of the insurance exchanges have struggled.
-
A few days later the urgent care clinic called and said my culture came back positive for type 2.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'urgent'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of urgent
Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin urgent-, urgens, present participle of urgēre
URGENT Defined for English Language Learners
urgent
playDefinition of urgent for English Language Learners
-
: very important and needing immediate attention
-
: showing that something is very important and needs immediate attention
URGENT Defined for Kids
urgent
playDefinition of urgent for Students
1 : calling for immediate action an urgent need
2 : having or showing a sense of requiring immediate action She spoke in an urgent voice.
urgently
adverbLearn More about urgent
-
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for urgent Spanish Central: Translation of urgent Nglish: Translation of urgent for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of urgent for Arabic speakers
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up urgent? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!