verge

1 of 3

noun

ˈvərj 

1

a

: brink, threshold

a country on the verge of destruction

—Archibald MacLeish

b

: something that borders, limits, or bounds: such as

(1)

: an outer margin of an object or structural part

(2)

: the edge of roof covering (such as tiling) projecting over the gable of a roof

(3)

British : a paved or planted strip of land at the edge of a road : shoulder

2

a(1)

: a rod or staff carried as an emblem of authority or symbol of office

(2)

obsolete : a stick or wand held by a person being admitted to tenancy while he swears fealty

b

: the spindle of a watch balance

especially : a spindle with pallets in an old vertical escapement

c

: the male copulatory organ of any of various invertebrates

verge

2 of 3

verb (1)

verged; verging

intransitive verb

1

: to be contiguous

2

: to be on the verge or border

the line where sentiment verges on mawkishness

—Thomas Hardy

verge

3 of 3

verb (2)

verged; verging

intransitive verb

1

a

of the sun : to move or tend toward the horizon : sink

b

: to move or extend in some direction or toward some condition

verging to a hasty decline

—Edward Gibbon

2

: to be in transition or change

Synonyms

Noun

• brink
• cusp
• edge
• point
• threshold

Verb (1)

• abut
• adjoin
• border (on)
• butt (on or against)
• flank
• fringe
• join
• march (with)
• neighbor
• skirt
• touch

Examples of verge in a Sentence

Noun

the suspect was on the verge of confessing when the officers realized that he hadn't been read his rights

the southern verge of the national park

Verb (1)

our land verges on a wildlife refuge

a comment that verged on an insult

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

There’s the title character himself, né Sergei Kravinoff, who is played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson in a fang thong necklace, washboard abs, and the glower of someone who is right on the verge of delivering a monologue about the dangers of seed oils. —Alison Willmore, Vulture, 11 Dec. 2024

With her top spy on the verge of going rouge, Mrs. Reed beckons Sam (Ben Whishaw), an assassin and old friend of Helen’s, back to London after a long hiatus and orders him to keep Helen and the organization safe. —Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 5 Dec. 2024

Verb

Their epic battle of wills comes to verge on black comedy, but the widow’s simultaneous battle with her own mortality gives the novel an unexpected poignancy. —The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024

Near the beginning of the night, before Rateliff had boomed his way into every nook and cranny of the X, a couple of softer songs verged on feeling thin. —Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 4 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, "rod, measuring rod, margin," borrowed from Anglo-French, "rod, area of jurisdiction," going back to Latin virga "shoot, twig, rod, line,"; perhaps, if going back to *wiz-g-, akin to Old Norse visk "wisp" — more at whisk entry 1

Verb (1)

verbal derivative of verge entry 1

Verb (2)

borrowed from Latin vergere "to move downward, slope downward, sink," going back to Indo-European *h₂u̯erg- "turn around, turn (to)," whence also, with varying ablaut and suffixation, Greek eérgō, eérgein (Attic eírgein) "to shut in, keep away, hinder" (conflated with outcomes of *u̯erǵ- "shut in"), Sanskrit (Vedic) vṛṇákti "(s/he) turns," and, as a nominal derivative, Hittite ḫurki- "wheel"

Note: This is the etymological solution preferred by Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben, 2. Auflage, 2001, and M. de Vaan, Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the Other Italic Languages (Brill, 2008). The laryngeal *h₂ is required by the Hittite noun, though the Greek verb then must be explained as the result of vowel assimilation (*au̯erg- to *eu̯erg-). See also wrench entry 1.

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a(1)

Verb (1)

1787, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

1610, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing verge

• on the verge of
• verge on/upon

Kids Definition

verge

1 of 2 noun

ˈvərj 

1

: something that borders, limits, or bounds : edge

walking on the grassy verge at the side of a country road

2

: brink sense 2, threshold

the company was on the verge of bankruptcy

verge

2 of 2 verb

verged; verging

: to come near to being

courage verging on recklessness

Medical Definition

verge

see anal verge