I. ˈərj, ˈə̄j, ˈəij verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Latin urgēre to press, drive, urge — more at wreak
transitive verb
1. : to present in an earnest or pressing manner : press upon attention : insist upon : plead or allege in or as if in argument or justification : advocate or demand with importunity
the psychiatrist urged greater cooperation between the psychiatrist and the general practitioner — Current Biography
opportunity to urge her point of view — Samuel Van Valkenburg & Ellsworth Huntington
alert observers urged more forcefully that our country must hurry to develop its military power — Herbert Feis
let me urge this thought upon you — Dean Acheson
2. : to undertake the accomplishment of with energy, swiftness, or enthusiasm : prosecute vigorously
the attack … is being violently urged wherever the winter conditions permit — Manchester Guardian Weekly
3.
a. : to press the mind or will of : ply with motives, arguments, persuasions, or importunity : solicit or entreat earnestly
they urge us to stop thinking and do something — M.R.Cohen
b. : to be a compelling, impelling, or constraining influence upon : serve as a motivating impulse or reason for
men … living in much the same way, urged by the same hungers — Marjory S. Douglas
three general purposes have urged me to the task — R.E.Coker
4.
a. : to force or impel in an indicated direction or to an indicated place
urged on by a pair of automatic pistols — Eric Linklater
mustered the ladies together and urged them into another room — Maurice Cranston
wedges are driven in to urge the trunk in the required direction — F.D.Smith & Barbara Wilcox
b.
(1) : to accelerate or urgently maintain the speed of : hasten
through the thick deserts headlong urged his flight — Alexander Pope
(2) archaic : to travel rapidly or diligently upon or over
c. : to force or impel to motion or to greater speed
red-jacketed dragoons urged their horses in furious pursuit — F.V.W.Mason
5. : to rouse from a dormant state or into life, expression, or action : stimulate , provoke
urge not my father's anger — Shakespeare
men urged their land with perpetual stinking fertilizing — Pearl Buck
intransitive verb
1. : to declare, advance, or press earnestly a statement, argument, charge, or claim
appeared before the House Banking Committee to urge against the adoption of an amendment — Current Biography
2. : to advance with speed or force : hasten
she urged toward him — Maurice Hewlett
3. : to exercise an inciting, constraining, or stimulating influence
Synonyms:
egg , exhort , goad , prod , spur , prick , sic : urge indicates a pressing, impelling, seeking to influence, or overcoming some obstacle, check, or drawback to a certain course
the American tendency to urge youngsters to early independence was contrasted with the French practice of encouraging the young to remain dependent for a longer time upon parental guidance — Dorothy Barclay
the old president urged the new president to take it easy, not to destroy himself with zeal — H.F.Wilkins
egg suggests encouraging, stimulating, or whetting a will or inclination that is hesitant, laggard, or dull
egged me to borrow the money — Rudyard Kipling
egg on one of their number to sing — Edmund Wilson
exhort may suggest the ardent urging or admonishing of an orator or preacher
exhorted his friend to confess, and not to hide his sin any longer — George Eliot
the situation was of the strangest and gravest description, but the public was exhorted to avoid and discourage panic — H.G.Wells
goad may suggest an exciting, driving, or irritating to action suggestive of driving animals with pointed sticks
the harsh ruling only goaded the Indians into fiercer resistance — R.A.Billington
must goad the slack part of his orchestra by the constant implied threat of dismissal — J.N.Burk
prod may suggest a driving to action as if with a stick or rod but is gentler in suggestion than goad
Indians grew hungry and hatred of the white man prodded them into open hostilities — Julian Dana
enough public support to prod congressmen on both sides to furnish the necessary votes — Newsweek
spur often suggests the use of a spur or sharp spike on the flanks of a lagging horse
spurred to earnest effort — M.L.Bonham
an aching conscience was the chief thing that spurred me on — John McNulty
prick , similar to spur , may refer to inciting or impelling as if by something with a sharp point
tries only to prick the student into a desire for truth — Barbara Buckley
rely on their animal instinct and developed reflexes to prick them into awareness when danger threatened — Fred Majdalany
sic , orig. used as a command to a dog, may indicate an inciting to attack or worry
a civilized nation sicced on the Barbary whelps to tear the peaceful passerby — J.R.Spears
II. “+ noun
( -s )
1. : the act or process of urging
2. : a force or impulse that urges
many young men had the urge to participate in the new venture — R.J.Dubos
especially : a continuing impulse or tendency toward some activity or goal
that almost mystic urge to climb can dominate your whole life — Wynford Vaughan-Thomas
Synonyms: see desire