Urge
/ɜːrdʒ/noun
To strongly encourage or pressure someone to do something; a powerful impulse or desire.
Did you know?Urge comes from Latin *urgere*, meaning “to press, drive, or push hard,” and its ancient root is tied to the same deep idea behind pressure, stress, and relentless force.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂erǵ-
“To drive, move, or set in motion with force.”
Latin
Latin
urgere
“To press, drive, urge, or force onward.”
Late Latin
Latin
urgēre
“To push hard, constrain, or compel.”
Old French
Old French
urger
“To press, insist, or compel.”
Middle English
English
urgen
“To press, drive, or strongly incite.”
Modern English
English
urge
“To strongly encourage, press, or compel; a strong impulse or desire.”