implore

verb

im·​plore im-ˈplȯr 

implored; imploring

transitive verb

1

a

: to make an earnest request to (someone) : beg

We earnestly implore you to bow out of the practice of clinical medicine and permit us to get on with our difficult job.

—William Steinsmith

… electronic highway signs implore Californians to "Save Water" and municipalities impose increasingly draconian conservation measures …

—Henry I. Miller

b

: to say (something) as a request in a sincere or urgent manner

"Keep your voice down," implored Lupin.

—J. K. Rowling

… accountability has become a watchword of relief agencies around the world, with new guidelines to help donors know that their aid won't be wasted. Give money, Presidents Bush and Clinton implore, and by implication, leave the rest to professionals.

—Nancy Gibbs

2

: to ask or beg for (something) earnestly

On this repetition of Mr Mantalini's fatal threat, Madame Mantalini wrung her hands, and implored the interference of Ralph Nickleby …

—Charles Dickens

To Neapolitans habitually blending pagan and Christian themes, the volcano also became, through its successive manifestations, a personality against whose rages they implored protection from their patron saint …

—Shirley Hazzard

imploringly adverb

Synonyms

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

Choose the Right Synonym for implore

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 implore in a Sentence

Don't go. I implore you.

“Think of the children!” he implored.

Recent Examples on the Web

Harris has previously implored voters to attend or view a Trump rally. —Annabella Rosciglione, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 15 Oct. 2024

Alma implored rescuers to save her father, mother and five siblings after their home was hit by an Israeli strike, her voice barely perceptible in the haunting video captured on that fateful day. —NBC News, 9 Oct. 2024

Shanahan expects more players than usual to request intravenous fluids before kickoff but that the team still is imploring players to hydrate ahead of time. —Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 4 Oct. 2024

In a new essay for Vanity Fair published on Sept. 30, Caroline, an outspoken Democrat, implored the public not to vote for Trump after seeing what happened to her father and announced her support for Vice President Kamala Harris in the high-stakes presidential race. —Janine Henni, People.com, 1 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle French or Latin; Middle French implorer, from Latin implorare, from in- + plorare to cry out

First Known Use

circa 1550, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

implore

verb

im·​plore im-ˈplō(ə)r 

-ˈplȯ(ə)r

implored; imploring

: to call upon with a humble request : beseech

implored the manager to give her more responsibility

imploringly adverb