nudge

/nʌdʒ/ (bre, ipa) · /nʌdʒ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈnəj/ (ame, mw)

nudge — 動詞

1. to give someone a small, light push, often with your elbow, so that they notice

1.動詞及物B1
釋義

輕推

用肘輕觸以引起注意

to give someone a small, light push, often with your elbow, so that they notice you or move in a certain direction.

例句

Rodrigo nudged his sister and pointed at the rainbow outside the window.

Rodrigo 用手肘輕輕推了妹妹一下，指向窗外那道彩虹。

nudge + somebody to draw attention

The cat nudged the bowl with its nose, hoping for more food.

那隻貓用鼻子輕推碗，希望再得到一些食物。

nudge + something with [body part]

同義詞
  • poke

    usually done with a finger or pointed object, more precise and quick

  • elbow

    specifically uses the elbow, often sharper

  • tap

    a quick light touch, typically with a finger, not a body part

反義詞

文法句型

nudge + somebody

nudge + something

nudge + somebody + with + body part

用法筆記

Commonly used with body parts such as elbow, foot, or nose. The action is always light or gentle — a hard push is not a nudge.

常見錯誤

❌She nudged me hard to get my attention.
✅She nudged me gently to get my attention.
💡a nudge is always light; use 'shove' or 'push' for a stronger motion.
❌He nudged the heavy box across the room.
✅He pushed the heavy box across the room.
💡nudge describes a small movement, not moving a heavy object over a distance.

2. to move slowly toward a higher level, number, or position, or to cause something

2.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

緩升；微漲

緩慢接近更高水平或數值

to move slowly toward a higher level, number, or position, or to cause something to move that way.

例句

Gabriel watched his portfolio nudge above 50 thousand dollars in March and grinned.

Gabriel 看著自己的投資組合在三月突破五萬美元，咧嘴笑了。

nudge above [level] — used in finance

Temperatures nudged toward 40 degrees during the July heatwave, and Jin read under a giant banyan tree most afternoons.

七月的熱浪中氣溫逐漸逼近 40 度，Jin 大部份的下午都在一棵大榕樹蔭下看書。

同義詞
  • edge up

    suggests very small increments, common in finance

  • inch up

    even slower and more gradual than nudge

  • creep

    steady, slow movement, often imperceptible

反義詞

文法句型

nudge + adverb of direction (higher, upward, past)

nudge + preposition (above, toward, past) + noun phrase

用法筆記

Frequently appears in financial and statistical contexts (prices, rates, temperatures, percentages). The intransitive form (prices nudged higher) is more common than the transitive.

常見錯誤

❌Sales nudged to a record high last month.
✅Sales crept up to a record high last month.
💡'nudge' implies a small, gradual movement; 'creep' or 'edge' may be more natural for steady upward movement.

3. to gently steer someone toward a decision or action by giving subtle suggestions

3.動詞及物B2
釋義

引導；勸說

以溫和方式鼓勵或說服

to gently steer someone toward a decision or action by giving subtle suggestions rather than by applying direct pressure.

例句

The teacher nudged Reuben to join the science club by praising his curiosity.

老師藉由讚賞 Reuben 的好奇心，引導他加入科學社團。

nudge [person] + to-infinitive

Anjali's parents gently nudged her toward applying to medical school.

Anjali 的父母溫和地鼓勵她申請醫學院。

nudge [person] + toward + noun phrase

同義詞
  • coax

    uses praise, flattery, or promises to persuade

  • prompt

    focuses on reminding or suggesting, often with a verbal cue

  • prod

    more insistent or repeated, sometimes slightly annoying

反義詞

文法句型

nudge + somebody + to-infinitive

nudge + somebody + into + noun/gerund

nudge + somebody + toward + noun

用法筆記

Very common in behavioural economics and public policy ('nudge theory'), where the subject is often an institution, system, or policy rather than an individual person. The persuasion is always gentle — if there is pressure or strong influence, use 'push', 'urge', or 'pressure' instead.

常見錯誤

❌The boss nudged me to work overtime against my will.
✅The boss pressured me to work overtime against my will.
💡nudge implies gentle encouragement; when there is resistance or force, use a stronger verb.
❌She nudged him into buying a car he could not afford.
✅She talked him into buying a car he could not afford.
💡'nudge' implies a positive or neutral intention; 'talk into' works for persuasion with negative outcomes.

nudge — 名詞