urgent
UR-juhnt
Urgent (adj) means needing immediate attention or action. Example: “The doctor said the test results were urgent and needed checking right away.”
adj
1
Needing immediate attention or action.
"An urgent appeal was sent out for assistance."
"The doctor said the test results were urgent and needed checking right away."
"This is an urgent matter — please call me back today."
"The patient was rushed in for urgent surgery."
How to use urgent
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSomething that can't wait and needs to be dealt with right away.
Common pairings
urgent matter
urgent care
an urgent need
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Word forms
- Comparative
- more urgent
- Superlative
- most urgent
Fill the gap
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The doctor said the test results were _____ and needed checking right away.
Etymology
From Latin urgēns, "pressing," from urgēre, "to press" — related to English "urge" and, more distantly, "wring" and "wreck."
Synonyms
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Related words
Rhymes for urgent
See all rhymes for urgent →Frequently asked questions
What does “urgent” mean?
The word “urgent” means needing immediate attention or action. In plain terms, something that can't wait and needs to be dealt with right away.
How do you pronounce “urgent”?
“Urgent” is pronounced UR-juhnt (/ˈɝ.d͡ʒənt/ in IPA).
How do you use “urgent” in a sentence?
Here is “urgent” used in a sentence: “This is an urgent matter — please call me back today.”
What is another word for “urgent”?
Words with a similar meaning to “urgent” include acute, bad, clamant, crying, sore and dire.
What is the opposite of “urgent”?
The opposite of “urgent” — its antonyms — are evergreen, nonurgent and unurgent.
What part of speech is “urgent”?
“Urgent” is an adjective.
Where does the word “urgent” come from?
The word “urgent” comes from Latin. From Latin urgēns, "pressing," from urgēre, "to press" — related to English "urge" and, more distantly, "wring" and "wreck.".
Is “urgent” a common word?
“Urgent” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
What is the difference between "urgent" and "important"?
"Urgent" means something needs immediate attention or action, so it is about timing. "Important" means something matters or carries significant consequences, regardless of when it must be done. A task can be urgent but not important, or important but not urgent.
What is the difference between "urgent" and "pressing"?
Both describe something that demands prompt attention, and they are often interchangeable. "Urgent" is the stronger, more common word and can imply an emergency. "Pressing" suggests something insistent and hard to postpone, but is often slightly less forceful.
What is the difference between "urgent" and "emergency"?
"Urgent" is an adjective meaning needing immediate attention or action. "Emergency" is usually a noun naming a serious, unexpected situation that requires an immediate response. An urgent matter is pressing, while an emergency is the critical event itself.
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