urgent

[ ur-juhnt ]

adjective

1. compelling or requiring immediate action or attention; dire; pressing:

   an urgent matter.

   Synonyms: desperate, imperative

2. insistent or earnest in solicitation; importunate, as a person:

   an urgent pleader.

3. expressed with insistence, as requests or appeals:

   an urgent tone of voice.

urgent

/ ˈɜːdʒənsɪ; ˈɜːdʒənt /

adjective

1. requiring or compelling speedy action or attention

   the matter is urgent

   an urgent message

2. earnest and persistent

Derived Forms

• urgency, noun
• ˈurgently, adverb

Other Words From

• ur·gent·ly adverb
• non·ur·gent adjective
• su·per·ur·gent adjective
• un·ur·gent adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of urgent¹

First recorded in 1490–1500; from Latin urgent- (stem of urgēns ), present participle of urgēre “to press, force, drive”; urge, -ent

Word History and Origins

Origin of urgent¹

C15: via French from Latin urgent-, urgens, present participle of urgēre to urge

Example Sentences

The people I spoke with largely said that climate change was real and urgent.

From Salon

Answering an urgent question on the issue in the House of Commons on Thursday, Pennycook defended the decision to keep the cap.

From BBC

She said urgent action was needed to prevent closures and the “downward spiral that will cause the arts to lose their impact”.

From BBC

The NPA says urgent funding talks with the government are needed to guarantee patient safety and services for vulnerable people.

From BBC

Canada’s role in supplying the commodity is made more urgent by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, particularly for the US, which had relied heavily on Russian-supplied enriched uranium to fire up its commercial nuclear reactors.

From BBC

Related Words

• compelling
• critical
• crucial
• demanding
• essential
• immediate
• imperative
• important
• indispensable
• necessary
• persuasive
• pressing
• serious
• vital
• weighty