exigent
Urgent and demanding immediate action or attention
Examples
In a meeting
“The security breach created exigent circumstances that required an immediate response.”
Over coffee
“With such exigent deadlines, I barely have time to sleep this week.”
Why this word
urgent
Exigent means requiring immediate action and demanding, often with pressing difficulty, while urgent simply means needing prompt attention
demanding
Exigent combines urgency with pressing necessity and difficulty, while demanding just means requiring effort
critical
Exigent emphasizes immediate pressing need and exacting requirements, while critical refers to importance or danger
Usage tip
Use for truly urgent situations that demand immediate action. Stronger than 'urgent' and conveys both pressure and importance.
Etymology
Latin 'exigere' (to demand, require), from 'ex-' (out) + 'agere' (to drive)
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