urgent
gb/ˈɚd͡ʒənt/ us/ˈɚd͡ʒənt/
B1
English
~ 8300
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B1
property
1
requiring immediate action or attention
Very important and needing quick action or attention right now.
Usage pattern:
urgent [noun]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"I am very urgent"* to talk about their own time pressure. In English, we usually say *"I am in a hurry"* or *"It is urgent"* (about the situation), not that a person is urgent. Another confusion is with *"emergent"*, which is rare in everyday English; use *"urgent"* instead when you mean something needs quick action.
Synonyms
pressing (Very close in meaning; common in both spoken and written English for tasks and problems that must be handled soon.)
|
critical (Often stronger, suggesting that serious negative results may happen if action is not taken immediately.)
Antonyms
non-urgent (Describes something that does not need quick attention and can be delayed without causing problems.)
Collocations
urgent matter
|urgent problem
|urgent need
|urgent action
|urgent medical attention
|extremely urgent
Themes
daily life
|work
|health
|emergencies
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The doctor said it was an urgent case and took him in right away.
- We have an urgent problem with the server that needs fixing today.
- There is an urgent need for clean water in the region after the floods.
- Please mark anything that is urgent so I can do it first.
- The government called an urgent meeting to discuss the crisis.
Learner examples
- I have an urgent question for my boss.
- This is an urgent email, so please read it now.
- She went to the hospital because she needed urgent care.
- There is an urgent need for food after the storm.
- We must make an urgent decision before tomorrow.
unknown
B2
property
2
insistent or demanding in tone
Showing by voice, words, or actions that something must be done very soon.
Usage pattern:
urgent [message/request/tone/voice]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes mix this sense with the general idea of being important. When *urgent* describes a voice, message, or tone, it always includes the idea of asking for quick action now, not just being important in general.
Synonyms
insistent (Focuses more on not giving up when asking for something; slightly more formal and less common in everyday speech.)
Antonyms
casual (Describes speech or requests that are relaxed and not demanding or time‑pressuring.)
Collocations
urgent message
|urgent request
|urgent tone
|urgent voice
|sound urgent
Themes
communication
|emotions
|work
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She left an urgent message on his phone, asking him to call back immediately.
- His voice sounded urgent, so I knew something was wrong.
- The manager sent an urgent email to all staff about the security issue.
- He made an urgent request for volunteers to help with the evacuation.
- There was an urgent knock at the door in the middle of the night.
Learner examples
- Her voice was urgent when she called my name.
- I got an urgent message from my teacher.
- The note on my desk was short and urgent.
- He wrote an urgent email to his boss.
- The woman spoke in an urgent tone to the police officer.
Grammar
Expressions
urgent care
1/ˈɚd͡ʒənt kˈɛɹ/
fixed phrase
medical service for minor emergencies
A medical service or clinic where people go quickly for health problems that are not life-threatening but cannot wait for a normal doctor visit.
Examples
- If it’s not serious enough for the emergency room, you can go to urgent care instead.
- She went to an urgent care clinic to get stitches for the cut on her hand.
- Many urgent care centers are open late in the evening and on weekends.