verge

1 of 3

noun

ˈvərj 

1

a

: brink, threshold

a country on the verge of destruction

—Archibald MacLeish

b

: something that borders, limits, or bounds: such as

(1)

: an outer margin of an object or structural part

(2)

: the edge of roof covering (such as tiling) projecting over the gable of a roof

(3)

British : a paved or planted strip of land at the edge of a road : shoulder

2

a(1)

: a rod or staff carried as an emblem of authority or symbol of office

(2)

obsolete : a stick or wand held by a person being admitted to tenancy while he swears fealty

b

: the spindle of a watch balance

especially : a spindle with pallets in an old vertical escapement

c

: the male copulatory organ of any of various invertebrates

verge

2 of 3

verb (1)

verged; verging

intransitive verb

1

: to be contiguous

2

: to be on the verge or border

the line where sentiment verges on mawkishness

—Thomas Hardy

verge

3 of 3

verb (2)

verged; verging

intransitive verb

1

a

of the sun : to move or tend toward the horizon : sink

b

: to move or extend in some direction or toward some condition

verging to a hasty decline

—Edward Gibbon

2

: to be in transition or change

Synonyms

Noun

• brink
• cusp
• edge
• point
• threshold

Verb (1)

• abut
• adjoin
• border (on)
• butt (on or against)
• flank
• fringe
• join
• march (with)
• neighbor
• skirt
• touch

Examples of verge in a Sentence

Noun

the suspect was on the verge of confessing when the officers realized that he hadn't been read his rights

the southern verge of the national park

Verb (1)

our land verges on a wildlife refuge

a comment that verged on an insult

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Germany has temporarily closed its embassy in South Sudan's capital Juba because of rising tensions that have brought the East African country to the verge of civil war, the German foreign ministry said on Saturday. —Fox News, 22 Mar. 2025

More news: Dodgers Tab Minor League Catcher to Replace Injured Freddie Freeman The Dodgers are off to an 8-0 start on the verge of their first series against the Phillies this season. —Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025

Verb

Many are rhythmic ditties verging on rap — fine for solos but indecipherable chorally, especially when the rhymes are so vague. —Jesse Green, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2025

In the pantheon of beloved Red Sox lifers, Dwight Evans is quietly verging on Johnny Pesky territory. —Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 8 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, "rod, measuring rod, margin," borrowed from Anglo-French, "rod, area of jurisdiction," going back to Latin virga "shoot, twig, rod, line,"; perhaps, if going back to *wiz-g-, akin to Old Norse visk "wisp" — more at whisk entry 1

Verb (1)

verbal derivative of verge entry 1

Verb (2)

borrowed from Latin vergere "to move downward, slope downward, sink," going back to Indo-European *h₂u̯erg- "turn around, turn (to)," whence also, with varying ablaut and suffixation, Greek eérgō, eérgein (Attic eírgein) "to shut in, keep away, hinder" (conflated with outcomes of *u̯erǵ- "shut in"), Sanskrit (Vedic) vṛṇákti "(s/he) turns," and, as a nominal derivative, Hittite ḫurki- "wheel"

Note: This is the etymological solution preferred by Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben, 2. Auflage, 2001, and M. de Vaan, Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the Other Italic Languages (Brill, 2008). The laryngeal *h₂ is required by the Hittite noun, though the Greek verb then must be explained as the result of vowel assimilation (*au̯erg- to *eu̯erg-). See also wrench entry 1.

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a(1)

Verb (1)

1787, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

1610, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing verge

• on the verge of
• verge on/upon

Rhymes for verge

• dirge
• merge
• purge
• scourge
• serge
• splurge
• spurge
• sturge
• surge
• urge
• converge
• diverge

Kids Definition

verge

1 of 2 noun

ˈvərj 

1

: something that borders, limits, or bounds : edge

walking on the grassy verge at the side of a country road

2

: brink sense 2, threshold

the company was on the verge of bankruptcy

verge

2 of 2 verb

verged; verging

: to come near to being

courage verging on recklessness

Medical Definition

verge

see anal verge