urgent

Definition

Requiring immediate attention.

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French urgent (“pressing, impelling”), from Latin urgēns, from urgēre (“to press”), from Proto-Indo-European *werǵʰ- (“bind, squeeze”). Equivalent to urge + -ent. Related to German würgen (“to strangle”), Lithuanian ver̃žti (“to string, tighten, constrict”), Russian (poetic) отверза́ть (otverzátʹ, “to open”, literally “to untie”), Polish otwierać (“to open”)) and English worry, wring, wreak, wreck.

Example Sentences

• "An urgent appeal was sent out for assistance."
• "The Egyptians were vrgent vpon the people that they might send them out of the land in haste."
• "My kind friends here are most affectionately urgent with me to prolong my stay […]."

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