urgently

IPA/ˈɜːdʒəntli/
KK[ˈɚdʒəntli]IPA/ˈɜːrdʒəntli/

urgently — adverb

1. requiring immediate action or attention, typically because the situation is crit

1.adverbB2
Definition

requiring immediate action or attention, typically because the situation is critical or time-sensitive

Example

The hospital called Kemi urgently to come in for the night shift.

adverb after verb: called + urgently

Repair crews were urgently sent to fix a broken water pipe before the street flooded.

passive: were urgently sent

Common collocations
  • urgently needed
  • urgently required
  • urgently called
  • urgently sent for
  • required urgently
  • needed urgently
  • treated urgently
  • urgently worded
Synonyms
  • immediately

    focuses on speed rather than importance; does not carry the same sense of critical need

  • desperately

    emotionally stronger than 'urgently'; suggests a pressing personal need rather than an external deadline

  • emergently

    much rarer; used almost exclusively in medical or technical writing

Antonyms
  • later

    simple time contrast without the sense of importance

  • casually

    opposite in both tone and time pressure

Grammar Patterns

urgently + verb

verb + urgently

urgently + past participle (as adjective)

urgently + needed/required/wanted

Usage Note

Often used in formal or serious contexts such as healthcare, emergency services, and official communications. The adverb can appear before or after the verb; pre-verb positioning (e.g. 'urgently needed') sounds slightly more formal, while post-verb placement (e.g. 'needed urgently') is neutral.

Common Mistakes

I urgently recommend this restaurant to my friends.
I highly recommend this restaurant to my friends.
'Urgently' implies a serious or critical need; for casual recommendations, use 'highly' or 'strongly' instead.

2. with strong and sincere determination, especially when asking or pleading for so

2.adverbB2
Definition

with strong and sincere determination, especially when asking or pleading for something you believe is very necessary

Example

Vikram urgently begged his grandmother to teach him the old family recipes before she left.

urgently + begged + to-infinitive

The aid organisation urgently appealed for clean water and medical supplies after the earthquake.

urgently + appealed for + noun

Common collocations
  • urgently begged
  • urgently requested
  • urgently appealed for
  • urgently pressed
  • asked urgently
  • pleaded urgently
  • urgently wanted
Synonyms
  • earnestly

    more formal and sincere; less forceful than 'urgently'

  • insistently

    focuses on the refusal to accept refusal; suggests repetition

  • desperately

    emotionally stronger; implies a sense of near-despair

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

urgently + verb (of asking/begging/requesting)

verb + urgently

Usage Note

Unlike sense 1, this sense does not imply a time-critical emergency. It describes a person's emotional intensity, determination, or strong desire. Common with verbs of asking, begging, requesting, appealing, or pressing. The urgency here comes from the speaker's feelings, not from an external deadline.

Common Mistakes

She urgently wanted a new handbag.
She really wanted a new handbag.
For ordinary desires, 'urgently' sounds unnatural because it carries the weight of necessity. Use 'really', 'badly', or 'desperately' for wants that are not genuinely important.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

'Urgently' and 'immediately' both stress the need for fast action, but 'urgently' adds the idea that the situation is important or serious, not just quick. 'Immediately' is purely about time — something happens right now, regardless of why. 'Desperately' carries stronger emotional weight: a person who desperately needs something feels panic or distress, whereas someone who urgently needs something may simply be responding to a deadline or protocol. 'Instantly' is the fastest of the group and excludes preparation or delay entirely. 'Emergently' is rare outside medical contexts. For everyday use: 'urgently' fits formal or serious communication ('Your report is urgently needed'), while 'as soon as possible' is a politer alternative in less critical situations.

immediately ↗desperately ↗emergentlyinstantly ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • most urgently
  • very urgently
  • so urgently

Phrases

  • need something urgently
  • require something urgently
  • urgently request that...
  • urgently appeal for...
  • it is urgently necessary that...

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Formed from the adjective 'urgent' plus the adverb-forming suffix '-ly'. 'Urgent' comes from Latin 'urgentem' (pressing, driving), the present participle of 'urgēre' (to press, to drive, to urge). The verb 'urge' entered English from Latin through French in the 1500s, and 'urgent' followed soon after. The adverb 'urgently' has been used since the early 1600s to describe actions done with pressing need or strong insistence.