| Library / English Dictionary |
URGENT
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (adjective)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Compelling immediate action
Example:
bridges in urgent need of repair
Synonyms:
pressing; urgent
Classified under:
Similar:
imperative (requiring attention or action)
Derivation:
urge (force or impel in an indicated direction)
urgency (pressing importance requiring speedy action)
urgency (an urgent situation calling for prompt action)
Context examples:
Come along, my dear fellow, for it’s an urgent call.
(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
A carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae strain known as multilocus sequence type 258 (ST258) is one of the antibiotic-resistant organisms labeled an urgent threat by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
(Scientists describe potential antibody approach for treating multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae, National Institutes of Health)
Leading biologists estimate nearly half of the planet’s species could be extinct by the end of the century unless urgent action is taken.
(Nearly Half the Planet's Species Could Be Wiped Out by the End of This Century, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)
According to Sunagar, there is an urgent need for specific antivenoms that can efficiently neutralise bites from all snake varieties.
(‘India needs region-specific snakebite antivenoms’, SciDev.Net)
Many current treatments for neurodegenerative conditions actually aim to enhance cell clearance, which may worsen rather than improve neurodegenerative symptoms, making the need for new treatment strategies an urgent priority.
(New Mechanisms Found of Cell Death in Neurodegenerative Disorders, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)
An adverse event that has life-threatening consequences; for which urgent intervention is indicated; that puts the patient at risk of death at the time of the event if immediate intervention is not undertaken.
(Life Threatening Adverse Event, NCI Thesaurus)
Eating toxic mushrooms causes more than 100 deaths a year, globally, and leaves thousands of people in need of urgent medical assistance.
(New Test Identifies Poisonous Mushrooms, Agricultural Research Service)
Perrault was carrying despatches if anything more urgent than those he had brought in; also, the travel pride had gripped him, and he purposed to make the record trip of the year.
(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)
Fanny was too urgent, however, and had too many tears in her eyes for denial; and it ended in a gracious “Well, well!” which was permission.
(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)
Mr. St. John had said nothing to me yet about the employment he had promised to obtain for me; yet it became urgent that I should have a vocation of some kind.
(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)
