begged; begging
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
1
: to ask for alms
children begging on the streets
2
: to ask earnestly
begged for mercy
see also beg the question
begin; beginning
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
Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 16 Dec. 2025
My father prays to the God of his upbringing and begs the Holy Father to disappear my grandfather.
—Literary Hub, 15 Dec. 2025
Columbus Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli, who rushed off the ice late in the third period with blood dripping from his face, suddenly reappeared — all stitched up and cleaned up — on the bench with only 90 seconds left, begging to get back on the ice to join the hunt for the tying goal.
—Aaron Portzline, New York Times, 14 Dec. 2025
Advocates in Southwest Boise have begged for businesses in the overwhelmingly residential neighborhood for years, the Idaho Statesman previously reported.
—Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 14 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for beg
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
With the season coming to an end, many fans are begging for the next installment.
—Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 16 Dec. 2025
My father prays to the God of his upbringing and begs the Holy Father to disappear my grandfather.
—Literary Hub, 15 Dec. 2025
Columbus Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli, who rushed off the ice late in the third period with blood dripping from his face, suddenly reappeared — all stitched up and cleaned up — on the bench with only 90 seconds left, begging to get back on the ice to join the hunt for the tying goal.
—Aaron Portzline, New York Times, 14 Dec. 2025
Advocates in Southwest Boise have begged for businesses in the overwhelmingly residential neighborhood for years, the Idaho Statesman previously reported.
—Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 14 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for beg
Cite this Entry
“Beg.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beg. Accessed 18 Dec. 2025.
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