Word
urgent
Phoneticsur·gent, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈɝdʒənt/
UK/ˈɜːdʒənt/
Definitions
01needing immediate action
B1 · Intermediate
adj. needing to be dealt with right away because it is very important.
adj. requiring immediate action or attention due to the critical nature of the situation.
日本語:至急※
“The hospital sent an urgent message to the doctor about the patient.”
“The government issued an urgent appeal for international aid as the floodwaters continued to rise across the central provinces.”
Antonyms
02insistent in manner
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. showing that you think something is very important and needs to be done now.
adj. characterised by insistence or a pressing manner in communication or behaviour.
日本語:切実※
“He spoke in an urgent whisper, telling us we had to leave immediately.”
“Her voice took on an urgent tone as she explained that the window for negotiation was rapidly closing.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “urgent” in context.
Verb
01. require urgent attention
“The leaking roof is a serious problem that requires urgent attention.”
verb + adj + noun
02. sound urgent
“I could tell something was wrong because his voice sounded urgent on the phone.”
verb + adj
03. take urgent action
“The government must take urgent action to tackle the rising cost of living.”
verb + adj + noun
Adjective
04. extremely urgent
“Please read this email immediately as the matter is extremely urgent.”
adv + adj
05. urgent need for reform
“There is an urgent need for reform in the country's healthcare system.”
adj + noun + prep + noun
Noun
06. sense of urgent priority
“The manager spoke with a sense of urgent priority during the emergency meeting.”
noun + of + adj + noun
07. urgent message
“She left an urgent message on my desk asking me to call her back right away.”
adj + noun
Preposition
08. in urgent need
“The charity provides food and shelter to families in urgent need.”
prep + adj + noun
09. urgent action
10. urgent care
11. urgent needs
12. urgent need
Real-World Examples
“In May, his first report warned that Britain risked a 25% rise in the number of Neets to 1.25 million by the early 2030s without urgent government action.” “The problem is, however, you could be waiting months to get one this way, particularly when it’s not urgent.” Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French urgent (“pressing, impelling”), from Latin urgēns, from urgēre (“to press”), from Proto-Indo-European *werǵʰ- (“bind, squeeze”). Equivalent to urge + -ent. Related to German würgen (“to strangle”), Lithuanian ver̃žti (“to string, tighten, constrict”), Russian (poetic) отверза́ть (otverzátʹ, “to open”, literally “to untie”), Polish otwierać (“to open”)) and English worry, wring, wreak, wreck.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B2 · Upper IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/urgent
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0