Synonym Chooser

How is the word beg distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of beg are adjure, beseech, entreat, implore, importune, and supplicate. While all these words mean "to ask urgently," beg suggests earnestness or insistence in the asking.

they begged for help

Where would adjure be a reasonable alternative to beg?

Although the words adjure and beg have much in common, adjure implies advising as well as pleading.

we were adjured to tell the truth

How are the words beseech and implore related as synonyms of beg?

Both beseech and implore imply a deeply felt anxiety.

I beseech you to have mercy
implored her not to leave him

In what contexts can entreat take the place of beg?

The synonyms entreat and beg are sometimes interchangeable, but entreat implies an effort to persuade or to overcome resistance.

entreated me to join them

When is it sensible to use importune instead of beg?

In some situations, the words importune and beg are roughly equivalent. However, importune suggests an annoying persistence in trying to break down resistance to a request.

importuning viewers for contributions

When might supplicate be a better fit than beg?

While the synonyms supplicate and beg are close in meaning, supplicate suggests a posture of humility.

with bowed heads they supplicated their Lord

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of beg This snappy set is begging to be paired with your fave sunglasses to create a mysteriously cool look this fall. Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 31 Oct. 2025 Nessarose, who uses a wheelchair, is seen levitating after begging Elphaba to wield her magical powers to give her the ability to walk. Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 30 Oct. 2025 It’s been that way since the exploitation of Roxanne Shanté, since the tabloid fodder of Lil’ Kim and Foxy Brown, since Megan had to beg to be believed. Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 30 Oct. 2025 Tea begs him to surrender, warning him that PET plans to imprison both he and Ashley, which will leave Sofia without either parent. Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for beg
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beg
Verb
  • Meta and TikTok have petitioned to have the suit dropped; the courts have thrown these petitions out.
    Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 8 Nov. 2025
  • In September 2017, Singer petitioned the clerk of Palm Beach County to legally change his name to Hunter Barrett Scott.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • There was no picture of Krasznahorkai anywhere and somebody came up to him and asked why?
    Fiction Non Fiction, Literary Hub, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Hall, a first-term Republican from Rudy, has asked a judge to seal filings in the case.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The great thing is, there will be many people praying for her.
    Belinda Luscombe, Time, 10 Nov. 2025
  • The best strategy is still to hope and pray.
    Zach Harper, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • City council candidate Adrian Austin had his own megaphone and implored those in the parking lot for their vote.
    Tanya Wildt, Freep.com, 4 Nov. 2025
  • With the issue resolved, Casparis implored those who hadn’t voted yet in the special election to do so.
    Kate Wolffe, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • That didn’t mollify Pleasant View neighbors, like Nancy Pate, who attended that August meeting and beseeched the commissioners not to sign off on housing at the Glo Park site.
    John Aguilar, Denver Post, 15 Oct. 2025
  • One of its products, a stablecoin, owes its value to Binance, whose co-founder Changpeng Zhao is beseeching Trump to pardon him after a money laundering conviction.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Beg.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beg. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on beg

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