entreat

en·treat

verb \in-ˈtrēt, en-\

Definition of ENTREAT

intransitive verb

1

obsolete

a : negotiate

b : intercede

2

: to make an earnest request : plead

transitive verb

1

: to plead with especially in order to persuade : ask urgently <entreated his boss for another chance>

2

archaic : to deal with : treat

— en·treat·ing·ly \-trē-tiŋ-lē\ adverb

— en·treat·ment \-mənt\ noun

Examples of ENTREAT

1. I entreat you to help me.
2. <she began her letter by entreating me to forgive the belatedness of her reply>

Origin of ENTREAT

Middle English entreten, from Anglo-French entreter, from en- + treter to treat

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to ENTREAT

Synonyms

appeal (to), beseech, besiege, conjure, beg, impetrate, implore, importune, petition, plead (to), pray, solicit, supplicate

Related Words

bludge [chiefly Australian & New Zealand], cadge, mooch, sponge; ask, desire, invoke, request, sue; claim, coerce, command, compel, demand, force, insist, require

Near Antonyms

hint, imply, intimate, suggest; appease, conciliate, gratify, mollify, oblige, pacify, placate, please, satisfy; comfort, console, content, quiet

See Synonym Discussion at beg

Rhymes with ENTREAT

accrete, aesthete, afreet, athlete, backbeat, backseat, backstreet, bedsheet, bench seat, big beat, bolete, box pleat, box seat, break beat, broadsheet, browbeat, buckwheat, bystreet, call sheet, car seat, cheat sheet, clipsheet, cloud street, cold feet, compete, compleat, complete, conceit, concrete, crabmeat, crib sheet, deadbeat, dead heat, dead meat, deceit, defeat, delete, deplete, discreet, discrete, disseat, downbeat, drop seat, drumbeat, dutch treat, effete, elite, en suite, escheat, excrete, facete, Fleet Street, fly sheet, forcemeat, foresheet, four-peat, gamete, groundsheet, hard wheat, heartbeat, heat-treat, helpmeet, hoofbeat, hot seat, house seat, ice sheet, ill-treat, jump seat, kick pleat, love seat, mainsheet, Main Street, maltreat, mesquite, mincemeat, mistreat, offbeat, Ossete, petite, pink sheet, preheat, rap sheet, receipt, recheat, red heat, red meat, red wheat, regreet, repeat, replete, retreat, scratch sheet, secrete, side street, slip-sheet, soft wheat, spreadsheet, stand treat, swap meet, sweetmeat, tear sheet, terete, three-peat, through street, time sheet, unmeet, unseat, upbeat, vegete, volkslied, white heat