Urge

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ɜːd͡ʒ/

Definitions

1. A strong desire or impulse that pushes someone to do something or take action
2. A compelling force that drives an individual to act or to motivate others to take specific actions or decisions
3. An intense feeling that compels a person toward a particular action or thought ; to earnestly try to convince someone to do something

Etymology: The verb "urge" entered English in the 16th century, borrowed from Latin "urgeō," meaning "to press, drive on, or push hard." The Latin sense is physical: a person or animal pressing against something, driving it forward. English kept that sense of forceful pushing, so to urge someone originally meant to press them onward, and only later did it come to mean pressing someone with arguments or entreaties. The noun followed the same path. A person's "urge" began as the act of driving or pressing forward, and the modern meaning of a strong impulse or desire grew out of that image of an inner force pushing a person toward action. Latin "urgeō" also gave English "urgent," which carries the same idea of pressure that cannot be ignored.

Synonyms: desire, impulse, drive, compulsion, instinct

Antonyms: aversion, disinterest, indifference, repulsion, detachment