urged him to

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "urged him to" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when expressing a strong recommendation or encouragement for someone to take a specific action. Example: "She urged him to apply for the scholarship, believing it would greatly benefit his future."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Ann urged him to reconsider.

The New Yorker

His assistant urged him to take cover.

The New York Times

Grant urged him to run the piece.

The New Yorker

The officer urged him to go home.

The New York Times

Duquette urged him to work on it.

The New York Times - Sports

But Jill Biden urged him to reconsider.

The New Yorker

His doctors urged him to rest.

The Economist

She urged him to "traffic with love".

The New Yorker

It urged him to do so.

The New York Times

Both urged him to reconsider.

The Guardian

He urged him to come out.

The Washington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "urged him to" to convey a sense of strong encouragement or recommendation, especially when the situation calls for a bit more force than a simple suggestion.

Common error

Avoid using "urged him to" in passive constructions where the actor doing the urging is unclear. For instance, instead of saying "He was urged to resign," specify who did the urging: "The board urged him to resign."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "urged him to" functions as a verb phrase used to express strong encouragement or a compelling recommendation for someone to take a particular action. Ludwig AI identifies its correct and frequent usage in various contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

85%

Formal & Business

5%

Science

5%

Less common in

Wiki

3%

Encyclopedias

1%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "urged him to" is a grammatically sound and frequently used expression to convey strong encouragement for a particular action. As validated by Ludwig AI, its versatility spans across various contexts, predominantly in news and media, signifying its wide acceptance. When you wish to convey a compelling recommendation, "urged him to" is a robust choice. However, alternatives like "encouraged him to" or "advised him to" might suit contexts requiring a gentler approach.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

encouraged him to

This alternative is a more general and softer form of urging.

advised him to

This alternative implies giving counsel or recommendations.

recommended that he

This alternative suggests a formal suggestion.

prompted him to

This alternative suggests initiating or triggering an action.

implored him to

This alternative is a more emotional and earnest form of urging.

exhorted him to

This alternative implies a strong moral persuasion.

counseled him to

This alternative suggests giving professional or personal advice.

persuaded him to

This alternative indicates convincing someone through reasoning or argument.

advised him that he should

This alternative is a slightly more verbose version of advising.

pressed him to

This alternative implies persistent urging or pressure.

FAQs

How can I use "urged him to" in a sentence?

Use "urged him to" when you want to express that someone strongly encouraged another person to do something. For instance, "His friends "urged him to reconsider" his decision."

What are some alternatives to "urged him to"?

You can use alternatives like "encouraged him to", "advised him to", or "implored him to" depending on the context.

Is "urged him to" formal or informal?

"Urged him to" is suitable for both formal and informal contexts. Its appropriateness depends more on the surrounding vocabulary and tone than the phrase itself.

What's the difference between "urged him to" and "asked him to"?

"Urged him to" implies a stronger level of encouragement or insistence compared to "asked him to". "Asked him to" is a simple request, while "urged him to" suggests a compelling reason or importance behind the request.