urgent task
Needs immediate attention
An urgent task demands immediate attention and quick action—something that can't wait without consequences.
The phrase emphasizes time pressure rather than importance; an urgent task may or may not be significant in the long run, but it requires handling now: I have several urgent tasks to complete before the deadline.
Compare with important tasks, which matter but may not be time-sensitive.
- deadlineTime limit for completion
- top priorityMost important item
- priorityStatus of greater importance
- rushQuick sudden movement
- pressingRequiring immediate attention
drop everything · critical · do or die · emergency · all hands on deck · crunch · crunch time · hurry · immediate · race against time · overdue · scramble · firefighting · put out fires · triage · escalation · time-sensitive · zero hour