urgency
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
the quality of being very important and needing to be dealt with immediately.
the quality or condition of requiring immediate attention or action. Uncountable in this general sense.
Simple“The doctor spoke with great urgency because the patient needed surgery right away.”
In context“The climate report added a new sense of urgency to the international negotiations, forcing leaders to reconsider their previous timelines for carbon reduction.”
SynonymsAntonymsunimportanceleisure - 02 C1 Advanced
a strong feeling or way of speaking that shows you want something done now.
the quality of being insistent or pressing in one's demands or requests.
Simple“There was a note of urgency in her voice when she called my name.”
In context“Despite the quiet setting, the urgency of his request was clear to everyone in the boardroom.”
Synonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
a sudden, strong need to go to the toilet that is difficult to wait for.
a sudden and compelling physiological need to urinate that is difficult to defer. Often used in clinical contexts regarding bladder health.
Simple“Patients with this infection often experience sudden urgency and pain.”
In context“The clinical trial focused on medications designed to reduce urinary urgency in elderly patients suffering from overactive bladder syndrome.”
UsageOften appears in the phrase 'urinary urgency'.
Synonyms
“In Guinea-Bissau, that is no different but there is also a sense of urgency, with primary schools scheduled to reopen across the country in September.”
“For these artists, and Slayyyter in particular, the urgency of a last chance had become as galvanizing as the urgency of a first.”
From urgent + -ency or Latin urgentia.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.