nudge
verb /nʌdʒ/
/nʌdʒ/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they nudge | /nʌdʒ/ /nʌdʒ/ |
| he / she / it nudges | /ˈnʌdʒɪz/ /ˈnʌdʒɪz/ |
| past simple nudged | /nʌdʒd/ /nʌdʒd/ |
| past participle nudged | /nʌdʒd/ /nʌdʒd/ |
| -ing form nudging | /ˈnʌdʒɪŋ/ /ˈnʌdʒɪŋ/ |
- [transitive] nudge somebody/something to push somebody gently, especially with your elbow, in order to get their attention
- He nudged me and whispered, ‘Look who's just come in.’
Extra Examples- She nudged him playfully in the ribs.
- The kids were giggling and nudging each other.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- gently
- playfully
- nudge somebody in the ribs
- [transitive] nudge somebody/something + adv./prep. to push somebody/something gently or gradually in a particular direction
- He nudged the ball past the goalie and into the net.
- She nudged me out of the way.
- (figurative) He nudged the conversation towards the subject of money.
- (figurative) She tried to nudge him into changing his mind (= persuade him to do it).
- [transitive, intransitive] nudge (something) + adv./prep. to move forward by pushing with your elbow
- He nudged his way through the crowd.
- [transitive] nudge something (+ adv./prep.) to reach or make something reach a particular level
- Inflation was nudging 20 per cent.
- This afternoon's sunshine could nudge the temperature above freezing.
Word Originlate 17th cent. (as a verb): of unknown origin; compare with Norwegian dialect nugga, nyggja ‘to push, rub’.