EN

Synonyms for urge

  • verb
  • noun

Most common

push encourage impel entreat insist

Synonyms by meaning

Verb

1. Encourage — to put mental pressure on; to ply with motives, arguments, persuasion, or importunity

encourage, push, entreat, impel, incite, induce, instigate, drive, goad, push on, stimulate, force, spur, beg, prompt, motivate, beseech, plead, provoke, quicken, excite, hurry

2. Agitate — to provoke; to exasperate

agitate, test, vex, strain

3. Exhort

exhort, inspire, pep up informal, barrack

4. Advise

advise, recommend, advocate

Other

press, insist, adduce, animate, dun

Noun

1. Itch

itch, craving, yearn, yearning, hunger, appetite, longing, thirst, yen, lust dated

Other

impulse, ply

Antonyms

dehort

All antonyms of urge →

Definitions

  1. v. 1

    To put mental pressure on; to ply with motives, arguments, persuasion, or importunity.

    My boss urged me to reconsider my decision to leave the company, even offering a pay rise.

  2. v. 2

    To provoke; to exasperate.

  3. v. 3

    To press; to push; to drive; to impel; to force onward.

  4. n. 1

    A strong desire to do something.

    After seeing the advert for a soft drink, I had a sudden urge to buy a bottle.

Related words

Word family
urgent
Phrases
urge on

Forms

Plural
urges → itches, cravings, yearns, yearnings…
Past participle
urged
e.g. urged → encouraged, pushed, entreated, impelled…

Choose the right word

Urge or Impel?

To urge and impel signify to produce strong excitation toward some act.

J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)

Example sentences

  • push He tried with all his might to push the door open.
  • encourage You often encourage me to be good and hardworking.
  • entreat I entreat you to go and see him.
  • insist I wonder whether or not Tom will insist I do that.

Popularity over time

Word1850 → 2019Trend
urgefalling
pushrising
encouragesteady
impelfalling
entreatrising
insiststeady

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

3 letters
beg1, yen1, dun1, ply1, vex1
4 letters
test1, push1, spur1, lust1, itch1, goad1
5 letters
force1, press1, drive1, hurry2, plead1, yearn1, impel2
6 letters
strain1, advise2, hunger2, insist2, prompt1, induce2, thirst1, excite2, incite2, exhort2, adduce
7 letters
inspire2, impulse2, craving2, provoke2, longing2, animate3, quicken2, barrack2, beseech2, agitate3, entreat
8 letters
advocate3, appetite3, motivate3, yearning2
9 letters
recommend3, encourage3, stimulate3, instigate3

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (hurry2 = 2 syllables).