urge

verb

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\ ˈərj

\

urged; urging

Definition of urge

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

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

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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 Because wildfires can grow quickly and without warning, emergency officials urge people to prepare to evacuate at a moment’s notice. — oregonlive, "Multnomah County watches, worries as Oregon wildfire evacuations creep closer to Portland," 11 Sep. 2020 In some counties, health directors did urge school districts to keep classes online. — Andrew Marra, USA TODAY, "Health directors told to keep quiet as Florida leaders pressed to reopen classrooms," 7 Aug. 2020 Ford must go beyond just touting its new products and offer more, analysts urge. — Phoebe Wall Howard, Detroit Free Press, "Ford's surprise: $1.9 billion earnings loss is good news," 30 July 2020 Health authorities urge anybody who is alerted to place themselves on lock down right away. — Grace Schneider, The Courier-Journal, "The COVID-19 load is overwhelming Louisville's public health capacity. Here's why," 3 Sep. 2020 Poole urge his colleagues to think through the presentation of materials and anticipate how their audience would understand what was on-screen. — Ingrid Ockert, Scientific American, "Science on the Small Screen, Retro Style," 3 Sep. 2020 Salem did however urge cancer patients to be mindful so that people around them don’t bring them COVID-19 because cancer patients’ immune systems are weakened. — Tracy Maness, Houston Chronicle, "Houston oncologist says COVID-19 has greatly impacted cancer community," 2 Sep. 2020 Local health departments urge the C.D.C. to pull its new guidance on testing. — Sheryl Gay Stolberg, New York Times, "C.D.C.’s ‘Clarification’ on Coronavirus Testing Offers More Confusion," 27 Aug. 2020 Authorities urge those with information regarding this double shooting to call the JPSO Homicide Section at (504) 364-5300 or contact Crimestoppers at (504) 822-1111. — Katelyn Umholtz, NOLA.com, "1 woman fatally shot, 1 man injured on Millie Drive in Avondale, JPSO says," 25 Aug. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun In Florida, Pensacola police asked people to resist the urge to drive around looking at damage Wednesday morning. — Brian Dakss, CBS News, "Hurricane Sally unleashes "catastrophic and life-threatening" flooding along Gulf Coast," 16 Sep. 2020 Follow all traffic signs and resist the urge to speed – a car accident will only delay your evacuation. — USA Today, "Go-bag guide: Preparing for a natural disaster during the COVID-19 pandemic," 14 Sep. 2020 Resist the urge to nuzzle, hug or kiss your pet, and wear a mask as much as possible to reduce the risk of infection. — Jason Douglas, WSJ, "Can You Get Covid-19 From Your Dog? Here’s What Disease Experts Say," 7 Sep. 2020 Resist the urge to water native and drought tolerant woody trees and shrubs. — Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, "September chores for home gardeners," 5 Sep. 2020 Finally, if your grinder has a large hopper, resist the urge to grind up a bunch of beans at once to use throughout the week. — Lesley Kennedy, CNN Underscored, "The best coffee grinders of 2020," 4 Sep. 2020 Let the person sharing just talk and resist the urge to relate your own stories. — Abigail Van Buren, oregonlive, "Dear Abby: Daughter’s big, howling hound dog no longer welcome for long stays," 1 Sep. 2020 Overwhelmed with an urge to honor Boseman, Kian held a small memorial for him in front of his home in Florissant, Missouri, on Saturday -- and all of his Avengers action figures were in attendance. — Alaa Elassar, CNN, "This 7-year-old boy held a heartbreaking memorial for Chadwick Boseman, who played his favorite superhero," 30 Aug. 2020 The Bulgarian -- once a Wimbledon semifinalist -- gave birth to a son, Alexander, before getting the urge to rejoin the circuit. — Ravi Ubha, CNN, "Garbine Muguruza delivers epic racket smash in upset loss against comeback mom Tsvetana Pironkova," 3 Sep. 2020

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.