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DictionaryurgentNeeding immediate attention
adjective

urgent

UR-junt/ˈɜːrdʒənt/

Requiring immediate attention or action.

The active leak makes closing the shutoff valve an urgent task.

Woman turns shutoff valve while catching active water leak.
Etymology
urgLatinto press hard, impel
+entLatinpresent participle ending

An urgent matter is figuratively pressing: it pushes for action. The word's early use in “urgent causes,” meaning “pressing matters,” already expresses this demand for attention.

In context

CareerVidz9:58
what tasks needed my most urgent attention and to tackle this i used effectively a traffic light system so the red tasks were the ones that needed to be done straight away
CIVIL SERVICE Interview Questions & Answers (How to PASS a Civil Service Success Profiles Interview)

More examples

  • Please call me if the problem becomes urgent.
  • The clinic treats urgent cases before routine appointments.
  • Finding clean water is more urgent than repairing the road.

Forms

urgent · more urgent · most urgent

urgency noun — The need for immediate attention or action.

urgently adverb — In a way requiring immediate attention or action.

Similar words

pressing
Emphasizes a demand that cannot easily be put off.
critical
Emphasizes serious consequences rather than the need for speed.