urgent

adjective

ˈər-jənt How to pronounce urgent (audio)
Definition of urgentnext
as in acute
needing immediate attention I will need to put off everything but the most urgent issues

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of urgent These Trump-supporting immigration restrictionists argue that reports of abuses by Immigration and Customs Enforcement are exaggerated and the need for mass deportations is urgent. — Alex Hinton, The Conversation, 28 Oct. 2026 Yet these conversations are becoming more urgent as older generations prepare to pass on enormous amounts of wealth. — Christina Wing, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2026 Limited verification mechanisms make immediate progress challenging and highlight the urgent need for greater transparency and third-party validation of downstream waste management. — Mayu Saini, Footwear News, 27 Oct. 2026 If anything, the cultural fascination with female rage has made those questions more urgent and their resolutions more complicated. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 26 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for urgent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for urgent
  1. acute
  2. pressing
  3. dire
  4. intense
  5. compelling
  6. emergent
  7. desperate
  8. critical
Adjective
  • The pain people feel from inflation in healthcare can be especially acute because the dollar amounts can be large.
    — Ari Pinkus, The Conversation, 28 Oct. 2026
  • One student survived, but the other later died from complications of acute fentanyl intoxication, according to investigators.
    — Lisa Rozner, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of acute
Adjective
  • For Moscow, the most pressing question is how to manage fuel shortages.
    — Tatiana Mitrova, Foreign Affairs, 23 Oct. 2026
  • And of course, the most pressing question of all … how will Terri Schuester factor in?
    — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of pressing
Adjective
  • In this latest report, the commission describes the dire impacts of prolonged cold exposure on Ukrainian civilians, saying that the country’s medical authorities documented deaths caused by low temperatures in homes, and even in hospitals.
    — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The fire department analyzed dispatch records and saw a dire need to add more resources, Bitchakdjian said.
    — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of dire
Adjective
  • The hearing took place amid the intense debate surrounding the risks posed by advanced AI models.
    — Ian Thomas,Colleen McKown, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Sexton’s intense playing style has remained as his career has evolved.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of intense
Adjective
  • For now, the trial provides compelling evidence that a cancer’s individuality can become a therapeutic opportunity.
    — Mike McRae October 25, New Atlas, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Those who create compelling reasons for people to come together in the physical world have an enormous runway ahead.
    — Davis Noell, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of compelling
Adjective
  • Happily, Cooke devotes the bulk of his narrative to everyday Wikipedians and their collaboration’s emergent properties.
    — Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2026
  • This emergent growth dynamic comes with important implications.
    — Justin Worland, Time, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of emergent
Adjective
  • Directed and co-written by Yeon Sang-ho and starring Kim Hyun-joo and Bae Hyun-sung, the mystery follows a desperate mother navigating a closed religious community while searching for her missing son.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Many of society’s loneliest and most attention-starved members become its most desperate and violent.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of desperate
Adjective
  • Key Takeaways These artificial channels are up to five times more selective for lithium, offering a simpler way to extract the critical battery material.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Seeking to acquire as wide a tent of support as possible, Student List purposefully left its position on most critical issues outside of corruption vague and noncommittal.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of critical

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Cite this Entry

“Urgent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/urgent. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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