beg

1 of 2

verb

ˈbeg 

begged; begging

transitive verb

1

: to ask for as a charity (see charity sense 1a)

begging food from strangers

begged him for some change

2

a

: to ask earnestly for : entreat

beg forgiveness

I beg your pardon.

b

: to require as necessary or appropriate

a scene that begged to be photographed

3

: evade, sidestep

begged the real problems

intransitive verb

1

: to ask for alms

children begging on the streets

2

: to ask earnestly

begged for mercy

beg

2 of 2

abbreviation

begin; beginning

Phrases

beg the question

1

: to elicit a question logically as a reaction or response

the quarterback's injury begs the question of who will start in his place

2

: to pass over or ignore a question by assuming it to be established or settled

Synonyms

Verb

• appeal (to)
• beseech
• besiege
• conjure
• entreat
• impetrate
• implore
• importune
• petition
• plead (to)
• pray
• solicit
• supplicate

Choose the Right Synonym for beg

beg, entreat, beseech, implore, supplicate, adjure, importune mean to ask urgently.

beg suggests earnestness or insistence in the asking.

they begged for help

entreat implies an effort to persuade or to overcome resistance.

entreated me to join them

beseech and implore imply a deeply felt anxiety.

I beseech you to have mercy

implored her not to leave him

supplicate suggests a posture of humility.

with bowed heads they supplicated their Lord

adjure implies advising as well as pleading.

we were adjured to tell the truth

importune suggests an annoying persistence in trying to break down resistance to a request.

importuning viewers for contributions

Examples of beg in a Sentence

Verb

A homeless man begs on that corner every day.

He begged the doctor for medicine.

She begged him to read the story again.

He begged that she would forgive him.

begging a favor of someone

He's too proud to beg.

“Does your dog know any tricks?” “She knows how to beg.”

A scene so beautiful it was begging to be photographed.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The lead-up had focused on whether a debate was even safe with the pandemic still in full swing — and some Biden supporters begged him to stay as far away as possible from the resident of that super-spreader White House. —Shelby Grad, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2024

And sagging sales of EVs worldwide suggest that nickel, the resource one of the world’s richest men begged for a few years ago, may not be an easy pathway to prosperity. —Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune Asia, 17 June 2024

Standing in front of a judge, Mendoza dropped to his knees during his sentence hearing and begged for mercy. —Beth Warren, The Courier-Journal, 17 June 2024

On June 10, Mammoth Cave manager W.W. Thompson sent a note with the food delivery, begging Kleitman to allow a visit from a representative of the press. —Discover Magazine, 14 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English beggen

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing beg

• beg, borrow, or/and steal
• beg leave
• beg off
• beg one's pardon
• beg pardon
• beg the question
• beg to differ
• I beg your pardon

Kids Definition

beg

verb

ˈbeg

begged; begging

1

: to ask for money, food, or help as charity

beg in the streets

2

: to ask earnestly or politely

beg a favor

beg pardon