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

The family's funeral service for Lungu in South Africa last June was interrupted when the Zambian government filed an urgent court case arguing the country's customs and protocols required he be buried at the national cemetery at home. — ABC News, 23 June 2026

This becomes even more urgent as generative AI and AI agents reduce the entry-level tasks through which people traditionally learned, built relationships and became known. — Nirit Cohen, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026

Beneficiaries of the urgent, unprecedented buildout of computing capacity are carrying the indexes, with timely rotations into the broader array of stocks allowing the leaders to rest periodically. — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 23 June 2026

At the same time, grief, paperwork and urgent decisions may be consuming your attention. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 23 June 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