URGENT Synonyms: 46 Similar and Opposite Words

urgent

adjective

ˈər-jənt

Definition of urgent

as in acute

needing immediate attention I will need to put off everything but the most urgent issues

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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of urgent Then fire trucks began wailing their way closer, broadcasting urgent calls to evacuate. — Maia Szalavitz, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026 Late last week, the urgent selling in semiconductors and data-center equities and debt resembled the sort of forced-unwind rhythms from July, when a big upstart tech hedge fund was in the process of being all but liquidated. — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2026 The party asked for an urgent order blocking the advertisements, noting the time sensitivity with voting already underway. — Romy Ellenbogen, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2026 And for those caught up in conflict—in places like Sudan, Ukraine, Gaza, and Afghanistan—AI can help meet urgent needs. — David Miliband, Time, 19 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for urgent

Recent Examples of Synonyms for urgent

Adjective

Looking forward, adding Tesla will simply make a new SpaceX’s huge need for cash far more acute.

— Shawn Tully, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
For North Carolina, where our infrastructure recently received a C- from the American Society of Civil Engineers, the need for ongoing federal funding for road and highway improvements feels particularly acute.

— Kevin Blackwell, Charlotte Observer, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of acute

Adjective

In this latest report, the commission describes the dire impacts of prolonged cold exposure on Ukrainian civilians, saying that the country’s medical authorities documented deaths caused by low temperatures in homes, and even in hospitals.

— Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026
The fire department analyzed dispatch records and saw a dire need to add more resources, Bitchakdjian said.

— Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of dire

Adjective

For now, the trial provides compelling evidence that a cancer’s individuality can become a therapeutic opportunity.

— Mike McRae October 25, New Atlas, 26 Oct. 2026
Those who create compelling reasons for people to come together in the physical world have an enormous runway ahead.

— Davis Noell, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of compelling

Adjective

Directed and co-written by Yeon Sang-ho and starring Kim Hyun-joo and Bae Hyun-sung, the mystery follows a desperate mother navigating a closed religious community while searching for her missing son.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 26 Oct. 2026
Many of society’s loneliest and most attention-starved members become its most desperate and violent.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of desperate

Adjective

Key Takeaways These artificial channels are up to five times more selective for lithium, offering a simpler way to extract the critical battery material.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 28 Oct. 2026
Seeking to acquire as wide a tent of support as possible, Student List purposefully left its position on most critical issues outside of corruption vague and noncommittal.

— Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of critical

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urgency

urgent

urges

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“Urgent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/urgent. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of urgent

adjective

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