urge

verb

\ ˈərj

urged; urging

Definition of urge

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : to present, advocate, or demand earnestly or pressingly his conviction was upheld on a theory never urged at his … trial— Leon Friedman

2 : to undertake the accomplishment of with energy, swiftness, or enthusiasm urge the attack

3a : solicit, entreat urged him to keep trying

b : to serve as a motive or reason for urged by a sense of duty

4 : to force or impel in an indicated direction or into motion or greater speed the dog urged the sheep toward the gate

5 : stimulate, provoke urge not my father's anger— William Shakespeare

intransitive verb

: to declare, advance, or press earnestly a statement, argument, charge, or claim urged for the adoption of the proposal

urge

noun

Definition of urge (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : the act or process of urging

2 : a force or impulse that urges especially : a continuing impulse toward an activity or goal

Other Words from urge Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about urge

Keep scrolling for more

Examples of urge in a Sentence

Verb

He is continually urging reform. The rescuers urged that we remain calm. an editorial urging readers to vote I urge you to reconsider. A hand on her back urged her forward.

Noun

the urge for something sweet He fought the urge to cry.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

After his death, Claire and Brianna, with the help of an old friend (and Bree’s future romantic interest), historian Roger Wakefield, learn Jamie survived Culloden, and Bree urges Claire to return to her husband in the past. — Julie Kosin, Harper's BAZAAR, "Caitriona Balfe Is Evolving with Outlander," 31 Dec. 2018 For drivers, AccuWeather is urging people in the storm's path to stay off the roads this weekend. — Jennifer Aldrich, Country Living, "AccuWeather Predicts a Brutal Winter Storm Is Set to Hit the South This Weekend," 6 Dec. 2018 The grassroots effort has, for the most part, been in good fun — but recently, people on social media have reported being hacked by someone who is urging them to subscribe to PewDiePie. — Patricia Hernandez, The Verge, "Someone hacked printers worldwide, urging people to subscribe to PewDiePie," 30 Nov. 2018 Legend claims that the victory came after a vision urged Constantine to paint a Christian symbol on his soldiers’ shields. — Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, "Archaeologists map centuries of history beneath world’s oldest cathedral," 30 Nov. 2018 Sirisena met Tuesday with the speaker of Parliament, who’d urged the president to bring Parliament back into session to resolve the stalemate peacefully. — Jen Kirby, Vox, "Dueling prime ministers and assassination plots: an escalating crisis in Sri Lanka," 1 Nov. 2018 The results could be seen as a victory for Trump, who had urged Republican voters to reject Blankenship as doomed to lose to incumbent Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin in November. — Alex Pappas, Fox News, "Morrisey pulls off upset in W.Va. Senate primary, as Indiana’s Braun and Ohio’s Renacci win nominations," 2 Oct. 2018 Einstein warned the president of the dangers of the weapon in the hands of the Nazis, and urged him to put the nation’s scientific and industrial resources to work developing one first. — Emily Strasser, Curbed, "A secret city opens up," 8 Aug. 2018 At a hearing Friday in San Diego federal court, the judge overseeing the process commended the government on its progress so far while urging officials to keep up the pace. — Kartikay Mehrotra, BostonGlobe.com, "Reunited immigrant families face difficult choice: try to stay legally or leave children in the US," 14 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

From wearing bitter-tasting nail polish to keeping your hands covered by gloves, there are countless techniques that nail biters try, only to find that the often-mindless urge is just too strong. — Marci Robin, Allure, "A Woman Lost Her Thumb to Skin Cancer Believed to Be Caused by a Nail-Biting Habit," 10 Sep. 2018 At the heart, though, remains a defiant urge for transcendence that is quintessential rock-and-roll. — Philly.com, "Manayunk Arts Festival, Juneteenth, Bluebird Distilling 3rd Anniversary Party, and other events in Philadelphia, June 22-29," 21 June 2018 The Eyes of My Mother (2016) A girl, a hostage, and an urge to poke and prod human flesh. — Julie Kosin, Harper's BAZAAR, "The 28 Best Halloween Movies on Netflix," 11 Oct. 2018 Kristen Dudley, a Pennsylvania state board psychologist, testified that Cosby had an uncontrollable urge to violate young women and would probably commit another offense if given the chance. — Tyler Mccarthy, Fox News, "Bill Cosby prosecutor asks for 5 to 10 years in state prison," 24 Sep. 2018 In so many ways, Budapest owes its very existence to the timeless human urge to pamper, connect, and indulge. — András Szántó, Condé Nast Traveler, "Why Budapest Is Europe's Unlikely Capital of Hedonism," 29 Aug. 2018 But for people with opioid addiction, the pain of withdrawal means that moment can pass quickly, replaced by powerful urges to use again to make the misery stop. — Aubrey Whelan, Philly.com, "Philadelphia hopes this 24-hour treatment center will save lives in the opioid crisis," 11 July 2018 Once the last guest is gone, resist the urge to crawl into bed and give your kitchen at least a little love: Toss lingering napkins and disposable servingware, wrap up any leftovers, and bring wine or cocktail glasses to the sink. — Vogue, "Kitchen Confidential: 4 Tricks to Make Your Post-Party Cleanup a Breeze," 16 Nov. 2018 Cooper asked displaced residents Saturday to resist the urge to return now and wait until the storm clears out and roads are passable. — Gary D. Robertson, Fox News, "As Florence moves west, North Carolina prepares for recovery," 15 Sep. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'urge.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.