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 number and variety of these tableaus begged an obvious question. —Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 5 Nov. 2024

The kitchen has brand-new stainless-steel appliances, but the cabinets are begging to be changed out. —Clio Chang, Curbed, 5 Nov. 2024

Given some room to excel, albeit in roles that beg to be more deeply explored, are Tang Shiyi as Gui Ying, a schoolteacher and martial artist with a close connection to An’s family; and Bea Hayden Kuo as Xia An, the Banker’s illegitimate daughter who is romantically involved with An. —Richard Kuipers, Variety, 4 Nov. 2024

That begs the question: If the babyface side of The Bloodline stands tall at Crown Jewel, what’s the point of a WarGames match? —Blake Oestriecher, Forbes, 2 Nov. 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 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