February 1, 2012 - Word of the Day: urgent

The word "urgent" is an adjective that describes something that is very important. It's often used in situations that need immediate attention:

• I received an email marked "urgent," so I opened it right away.
• The little boy has an urgent need to use the bathroom. (Notice that the word "need" is a noun in this sentence.)
• Is this really urgent? Can we wait to do this later?
• Our supervisor cancelled the meeting because he had an urgent matter to attend to.
• The group sent out an urgent message requesting some help.

The verb form of this word is "urge." We use "urge" when making a strong recommendation:

• She urged her son not to drop out of college.
• I urge you to consider adding more insulation to your attic. You'll save a lot of money on heating bills.
• The government is urging everyone who lives next to the river to move to higher ground.

Click here to go to the Word of the Day page.