NUDGE


Meaning of NUDGE in English

nudge /nʌdʒ/ BrE AmE verb

[ Date: 1600-1700 ; Origin: Perhaps from a Scandinavian language ]

1 . [transitive] to push someone gently, usually with your elbow, in order to get their attention:

Jill nudged him in the ribs.

2 . [transitive always + adverb/preposition] to move something or someone a short distance by gently pushing:

She nudged the glass towards me.

David nudged me out of the way.

3 . [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to move forward slowly by pushing gently

nudge your way to/through etc (something)

I started to nudge my way to the front of the crowd.

4 . [transitive always + adverb/preposition] to gently persuade or encourage someone to take a particular decision or action

nudge somebody into/towards something

We’re trying to nudge them towards a practical solution.

5 . [transitive] to almost reach a particular level or amount:

Outside the temperature was nudging 30 degrees Celsius.

—nudge noun [countable] :

Hannah gave me a gentle nudge.

• • •

THESAURUS

▪ push to make something or someone move by pressing them with your hands, arms etc:

Push the door, don’t pull it.

|

She pushed him away and walked out.

▪ shove to push someone or something in a rough or careless way:

People were shoving to get to the front of the queue.

|

Tom shoved his suitcase under the bed.

▪ stuff informal to push something quickly and carelessly into a small space:

She stuffed a few clothes into a bag and left.

▪ poke to push someone or something with your finger or something sharp:

I poked the snake with a stick but it was dead.

▪ nudge to push someone beside you gently with your elbow to get their attention:

Toby nudged me and pointed out of the window.

▪ roll to push something round or something on wheels so that it moves forward:

They rolled the logs down the hill.

|

The car still didn’t start so we tried to roll it off the road.

▪ wheel to push something with wheels, for example a bicycle or a ↑ trolley , so that it moves forward, while guiding it with your hands:

Rob wheeled his bike round the back of the house.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English.      Longman - Словарь современного английского языка.