MEANING
To push lightly, often to attract attention or encourage a response.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- nudge an elbow
- nudge toward agreement
On the page
A colleague nudged her before the chair called her name.
Nearby words
Word forms
- Base
- nudge
- Past tense
- nudged
- Past participle
- nudged
- Present participle
- nudging
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- nudge
- Present continuous
- am/is/are nudging
- Present perfect
- have/has nudged
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been nudging
- Past
- nudged
- Past continuous
- was/were nudging
- Past perfect
- had nudged
- Past perfect continuous
- had been nudging
- Future
- will nudge
- Future continuous
- will be nudging
- Future perfect
- will have nudged
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been nudging
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: literary / elevated general. Forms: nudge; nudges; nudged; nudged; nudging Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Commonness: moderately common. Third-person singular: nudges.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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