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

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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

In a culture of work, work, work, Microsoft’s MyAnalytics has always been one of the few quiet voices urging you to slow down. — Mark Hachman, PCWorld, "Microsoft's MyAnalytics work assistant now encourages you to slow down and focus," 6 May 2019 Late last month, though, Putin gave a high-profile speaking slot at a meeting of his Fitness and Sports Council to a veteran gymnastics official who urged Russians to apply for more TUEs. — James Ellingworth, The Seattle Times, "Russia warms to controversial TUEs after doping scandals," 12 Apr. 2019 In honor of Autism Awareness Month in April and World Autism Day on April 2, Autism Speaks is urging everyone to learn about the importance of early diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). — Marisa Lascala, Good Housekeeping, "10 Things Parents of Kids With Autism Spectrum Disorder Wish You Knew," 1 Apr. 2019 The Dolan Twins) have urged their fans to not show up at their father's wake or funeral this week. — Yerin Kim, Seventeen, "The Dolan Twins Ask Fans Not to Attend Their Dad's Funeral," 24 Jan. 2019 On February 12, all 56 state attorneys general (including those in five US territories) weighed in, urging congressional leaders to vote on the bills. — Alexia Fernández Campbell, Vox, "Female law students pressure firms to stop banning sexual harassment suits," 3 Dec. 2018 Like Harry's beard has, Will's scruffy look prompted comparisons to photos of Prince Charles' beard from 1976: When Will shaved his head in early 2018, many royal fans took to Twitter to urge him to grow the beard back. — Kayleigh Roberts, Marie Claire, "Prince William Grew Out a Beard in 2008 and These Throwback Pictures Documented It," 16 Dec. 2018 Also on Thursday, the House overwhelmingly passed a bi-partisan bill urging that the Mueller report, when it is finally released, be shared with the public. — Lynn Yaeger, Vogue, "The Week in Washington: “Get Rid of My Kids!”," 17 Mar. 2019 Contrary to Trump’s claims, these unions aren’t egging the shutdown on so much as aggressively urging the president and Congress to work toward a solution that would reopen the government. — Li Zhou, Vox, "Senators are getting paid during the government shutdown. Many low-wage contractors aren’t.," 27 Dec. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Yes, taking an over-the-counter allergy med like Benadryl or Zyrtec can also reduce the urge to itch, according to Dr. Wattenberg. — Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, "Why Your Sunburn Itches — And How to Stop It," 19 Apr. 2019 These places are the new focus of our interest, of our primal urge to walk over the next ridge and see what’s there. — Andrew Liptak, The Verge, "Read an excerpt from Kim Stanley Robinson’s next book," 18 Oct. 2018 The trick is to resist the urge to slather it all over your face. — Tara Gonzalez, Glamour, "Tatcha’s The Silk Canvas Makeup Primer Makes My Skin Look Airbrushed," 27 Mar. 2019 Despite decades of data showing that colleges were simply pocketing the new subsidies by raising prices on students, many politicians have been unable to resist the urge to send more money to campus. — James Freeman, WSJ, "Remember When Politicians Promised to Make College Affordable?," 17 Jan. 2019 Thinness has become a norm thanks to companies' repeated urge to chase it. — Eric Limer, Popular Mechanics, "The Samsung Galaxy Fold Is a Thick Boy, Just Not in the Way You Actually Need," 20 Feb. 2019 The duchess has to resist that American urge to win at everything. — Christopher Rosa, Glamour, "Meghan Markle Was Reportedly Asked to Do One Thing to Avoid Upsetting the Queen at Christmas," 25 Nov. 2018 Another reason for the growing unpredictability is Mr Trump’s urge to show off his power with acts of pure political discretion. — The Economist, "Why corporate America loves Donald Trump," 24 May 2018 No matter what, resist the urge to scrub, says Hyman, as that can damage the fibers and make the stain penetrate deeper. — Kelsey Ogletree, House Beautiful, "How to Clean Your Vintage Rug," 5 Mar. 2019

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.