Urge, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Urged; p. pr. & vb. n. Urging.]
Etymology: [L. urgere; akin to E. wreak. See Wreak, v. t.]
1. To press; to push; to drive; to impel; to force onward. Through the thick deserts headlong urged his flight. Pope.
2. To press the mind or will of; to ply with motives, arguments, persuasion, or importunity. My brother never Did urge me in his act; I did inquire it. Shak.
3. To provoke; to exasperate. [R.] Urge not my father's anger. Shak.
4. To press hard upon; to follow closely Heir urges heir, like wave impelling wave. Pope.
3 more senses
5. To present in an urgent manner; to press upon attention; to insist upon; as, to urge an argument; to urge the necessity of a case.
6. To treat with forcible means; to take severe or violent measures with; as, to urge an ore with intense heat.
Syn. -- To animate; incite; impel; instigate; stimulate; encourage.
1 other Webster entry under this spelling
Urge, v. i.
1. To press onward or forward. [R.]
2. To be pressing in argument; to insist; to persist.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for urge; he lists it under influence, persuade, plead, quicken.
Where he writes about it:
To urge and impel signify to produce strong excitation toward some act. — from influence
Press and urge imply more determined or perhaps authoritative insistence. — from plead
One who excites a quarrel originates it; to promote a quarrel is strictly to foment and urge it on, the one who promotes keeping himself in the background. — from promote