beseech

verb

be·​seech bi-ˈsēch 

bē-

beseeched or besought bi-ˈsȯt 

bē-

; beseeching

transitive verb

1

: to beg for urgently or anxiously

beseeched him to write while he was away

—R. W. Hatch

2

: to request earnestly : implore

besought their protection

intransitive verb

: to make supplication

Synonyms

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

Choose the Right Synonym for beseech

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 beseech in a Sentence

parishioners ardently beseeched the local bishop not to close their beloved church

Recent Examples on the Web

Although water officials constantly beseech Californians to limit their personal consumption of water, the real conflict in recent years, particularly during periods of drought, has pitted agricultural interests against environmentalists over the flows needed to nurture fish and other wildlife. —Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 15 June 2024

One such creator who lost work for beseeching ceasefire noted what a dramatic turnabout this was from the post-George Floyd activism of 2020, when influencers felt compelled to, at minimum, post a black square on Instagram. —Michael Serazio, Vox, 29 May 2024

Alumni who have repeatedly beseeched Vassar to hire a faculty member with an unbiased outlook (and with credentials in Israeli Studies) were told that Vassar is too small to warrant the expense of additional faculty. —Megan Tallmer, New York Daily News, 29 May 2024

Don Ledgerwood and other local farmers signed a petition beseeching the Corporation Commission to reject the companies’ plans. —Mark Olalde, ProPublica, 6 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English besechen, from be- + sechen to seek

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

beseech

verb

be·​seech bi-ˈsēch 

besought -ˈsȯt  or beseeched; beseeching

: to ask earnestly for