urgent

adjective

ur·​gent ˈər-jənt How to pronounce urgent (audio)
Synonyms of urgent
1
a
: calling for immediate attention : pressing
urgent appeals
problems of an urgent nature
an urgent need
b
: conveying a sense of urgency
an urgent voice
2
: urging insistently : importunate
an urgent lover
urgently adverb

Synonyms of urgent

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of urgent in a Sentence

We've come to deliver an urgent message. an urgent appeal for assistance He addressed us in an urgent manner. An urgent voice came over the intercom, telling us to leave the building immediately.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Carrying one suggested that your business was urgent and your time too valuable to be tethered to a desk. — Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026 Doctors make urgent decisions based on evidence, risk, and the patient in front of us. — Dara Kass, Washington Post, 9 Oct. 2026 The streamlining of buying and the urgent need to up the commercial ante is not the death knell for runways, though. — Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2026 Earlier Thursday, the government’s Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration held an urgent briefing to address overcrowding at asylum offices after implementing a July Constitutional Court ruling. — ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for urgent

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin urgent-, urgens, present participle of urgēre

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of urgent was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing urgent

Rhymes for urgent

See All Rhymes for urgent

Browse Nearby Words

urgency
urgent
urgent care
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Cite this Entry

“Urgent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/urgent. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

urgent

adjective
ur·​gent ˈər-jənt How to pronounce urgent (audio)
1
a
: calling for immediate attention : pressing
an urgent need for food
b
: indicating an urgent desire or need
an urgent manner
2
: urging very earnestly
urgently adverb
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