Wordul · all words

verb · 1 syllable · /nʌdʒ/

NUDGE

What does "NUDGE" mean?

To push gently, especially with the elbow, to get someone's attention or move them slightly.

Meanings

  1. To prod gently with the elbow or a small push. She nudged him under the table when his story got too long.
  2. To encourage or prompt someone gently toward an action. A reminder email nudged the team to submit their reports on time.
  3. A light push or gentle prompt. All he needed was a small nudge to finally apply for the job.
  4. A small change in choice architecture that steers behaviour without forbidding options. Placing fruit at eye level is a classic nudge toward healthier eating. technical

Did you know?

  • The economic meaning of 'nudge' comes from Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein's 2008 book of that name; Thaler went on to win the 2017 Nobel Prize in Economics partly for this work on gentle behavioural steering.

Word origin

Of uncertain origin, recorded from the 17th century; perhaps from a Scandinavian source related to Norwegian dialect 'nugga' (to push or rub).

Remember it

NUDGE rhymes with BUDGE and NUDGE is what it takes to make someone budge - a tiny push.

A little poem

Not a shove, not a shout, just an elbow's worth-
the smallest push can change a planet's orbit's girth.

couplet

What it teaches

You rarely have to move people far - just enough to tip them past the point where they move themselves.

Quick facts

What does NUDGE mean?

To push gently, especially with the elbow, to get someone's attention or move them slightly.

Is NUDGE a valid word?

Yes — NUDGE is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.

How many letters is NUDGE?

NUDGE has 5 letters and 1 syllable.

Where does NUDGE come from?

Of uncertain origin, recorded from the 17th century; perhaps from a Scandinavian source related to Norwegian dialect 'nugga' (to push or rub).

What can NUDGE teach us?

You rarely have to move people far - just enough to tip them past the point where they move themselves.

How players do

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