beg

1 of 2

verb

begged; begging
Synonyms of begnext

transitive verb

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
3
: evade, sidestep
begged the real problems

intransitive verb

1
: to ask for alms
children begging on the streets
2
: to ask earnestly
begged for mercy
see also:

beg

2 of 2

abbreviation

begin; beginning
Choose the Right Synonym for beg

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 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
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.
Verb
Chan and Acosta beat Tay for more than seven minutes while Tay cried and begged for help and then forced Tay to drink rubbing alcohol and sealed his mouth with duct tape, authorities have said. Sean Emery, Oc Register, 3 Mar. 2026 Nanos was also criticized for attending a University of Arizona basketball game on February 7, the same day Savannah Guthrie and her siblings, Annie and Camron, shared a video begging for their mom’s return. Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 3 Mar. 2026 An Oak Lawn man is begging for the safe return of his rare and expensive pets, who were stolen from his home more than a month ago. Tara Molina, CBS News, 2 Mar. 2026 Trunks, roots, and branches dot the sand, creating an ethereal landscape that begs for its photo to be taken. Lydia Mansel, Southern Living, 1 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for beg

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English beggen

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of beg was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Beg.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beg. Accessed 5 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

beg

verb
ˈbeg
begged; begging
1
: to ask for money, food, or help as charity
beg in the streets
2
: to ask earnestly or politely
beg a favor
beg pardon

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