# urgent

/ˈɝdʒənt/ (US) · /ˈɜːdʒənt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/urgent
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. needing immediate action

adjective · CEFR B1

needing to be dealt with right away because it is very important.

For teachers: requiring immediate action or attention due to the critical nature of the situation.

- 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.

### 2. insistent in manner

adjective · CEFR B2

showing that you think something is very important and needs to be done now.

For teachers: characterised by insistence or a pressing manner in communication or behaviour.

- 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.

## Examples

- I have an urgent message for the manager.
- The hospital staff responded to the urgent call as soon as the patient arrived in the emergency room.
- The report highlights an urgent need for infrastructure reform, warning that further delays could lead to a total system failure within the decade.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.