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.
The Roseville Telephone Museum has permanently closed after 22 years, part of a broader strain on local institutions where 90% of Sacramento Area Museums members report urgent volunteer shortages. — Sacbee.com, 24 Oct. 2026 How stakeholders are responding The UN views space safety and space sustainability as urgent priorities. — David Zamora, Space.com, 23 Oct. 2026 The discovery prompted urgent government warnings and a rush to install security fixes after details of the vulnerabilities leaked ahead of schedule. — Alexa Lomonaco,matthew J. Belvedere,jeff Marks, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026 To return to it now, all these years later, when its questions feel as urgent as ever, is profoundly moving. — Greg Evans, Deadline, 23 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
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Urgent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/urgent. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All