urgency

/ˈɜːdʒənsi/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈɜːrdʒənsi/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈər-jən(t)-sē/ (ame, mw)

urgency — 名詞

1. the fact that a problem or task matters so much that people have to act on it ri

1.名詞B2
釋義

急迫；緊急

事情重要且必須立刻處理的狀態

the fact that a problem or task matters so much that people have to act on it right away rather than wait.

例句

After the second tremor, Ramón understood the urgency of leading his grandmother out of the building.

第二次餘震過後，Ramón 明白必須立刻帶奶奶離開那棟大樓的急迫。

the urgency of + gerund clause

Nurse Lien spoke with quiet urgency while paging the on-call surgeon at midnight.

Lien 護理師半夜呼叫值班外科醫師時，語氣壓低卻帶著緊急。

with + adjective + urgency, adverbial of manner

同義詞
  • pressure

    wider — any forceful demand, not only time-based

  • imperative

    more formal; frames the matter as a strategic must-do

  • exigency

    formal/literary; stresses a critical demand created by circumstances

  • immediacy

    stresses the now-ness of something rather than its importance

反義詞
  • leisureliness

    stresses an unhurried pace — opposite atmosphere

  • complacency

    implies failure to notice that something needs attention

文法句型

a sense of urgency

a matter of urgency

用法筆記

Almost always uncountable. Subjects are typically situations, events, or shared feelings rather than individual people. The most common frames are 'a sense of urgency' and 'a matter of urgency' — both function as set phrases.

常見錯誤

❌There are many urgencies in our project.
✅There are many urgent matters in our project.
💡'urgency' is normally uncountable; use 'urgent matters' for the countable idea.
❌I have urgency to finish today.
✅I feel a sense of urgency to finish today.
💡'have urgency' sounds unnatural; native speakers say 'feel/have a sense of urgency'.

2. an earnest, repeated way of asking or pushing for something, where the speaker k

2.名詞C1
釋義

懇切催促

再三、不肯罷休地請求某事的態度

an earnest, repeated way of asking or pushing for something, where the speaker keeps going until they get a result.

例句

Rania kept phoning the embassy with an urgency that surprised even her own brothers.

Rania 不停打電話到大使館，那種懇切催促連她的兄弟們都感到意外。

with + an urgency that-clause, relative-clause modifier

The urgency of Sahil's pleas finally convinced the committee to reopen the murder case.

Sahil 一再懇切催促，最後說動委員會重啟那宗謀殺案。

the urgency of someone's pleas / requests

同義詞
  • insistence

    closest match — emphasises refusal to be put off

  • earnestness

    stresses sincerity more than persistence

  • persistence

    wider — any continued effort, not only verbal pressure

反義詞
  • diffidence

    shy, hesitant manner — opposite of insistent pushing

文法句型

the urgency of [someone's] pleas

an urgency in [someone's] voice

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1: this sense focuses on a person's repeated, determined manner of asking, not on a situation's time-critical importance. Frequently appears with body-language or speech nouns such as 'voice', 'tone', 'gestures', 'pleas'.

常見錯誤

❌He spoke with urgency about the weather.
✅He spoke with urgency about getting help before nightfall.
💡this sense needs an object the speaker is actively pushing for, not casual chat.