Word
urge
US/ˈɝdʒ/
UK/ˈɜːdʒ/
Definitions
01to strongly encourage
v. to try hard to persuade someone to do something because you think it is important.
v. to earnestly or persistently persuade someone to take a specific action. Transitive; frequently followed by an object and a to-infinitive.
“The doctor urged him to quit smoking for the sake of his health.”
“The environmental committee urged the government to implement stricter regulations on industrial waste before the local ecosystem suffered permanent damage.”
Usage
Commonly used in the pattern 'urge someone to do something'.
Pitfall
She urged to him to stay.
She urged him to stay.
The verb 'urge' is transitive and takes a direct object before the infinitive; do not use 'to' between the verb and the person.
Antonyms
02to recommend strongly
v. to suggest a plan or action very strongly.
v. to advocate for a particular course of action or policy with intensity. Often used with a 'that' clause in formal contexts.
“The report urged that all staff receive better safety training.”
“Legal experts have urged a complete overhaul of the current sentencing guidelines to ensure greater consistency across the judicial system.”
Formal
Usage
In formal writing, this sense often triggers the subjunctive mood in the 'that' clause (e.g., 'urged that he be released').
03a strong desire
n. a sudden, strong feeling that you want to do something.
n. a strong, often impulsive, yearning or desire to perform a particular act.
“I had a sudden urge to buy a plane ticket and travel the world.”
“Despite the professional setting, he felt an almost uncontrollable urge to laugh at the absurdity of the CEO's presentation.”
Antonyms
Real-World Examples
“Linda's relatives also urged the court to block his release.” “Suntukung’s cousin also urged her to find the women.” Etymology
From Latin urgeō (“urge”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Collocations
Word family
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/urge