beg

verb

\ ˈbeg

begged; begging

Definition of beg

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to ask for as a charity (see charity sense 1a) begging food from strangers begged him for some change

2a : 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

beg the question

1 : to elicit a question logically as a reaction or response the quarterback's injury begs the question of who will start in his place

2 : to pass over or ignore a question by assuming it to be established or settled

beg

abbreviation

Definition of beg (Entry 2 of 2)

begin; beginning

Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about beg

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Choose the Right Synonym for beg

Verb

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. children begging strangers for food children begging food from strangers 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.”

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The question this begs is as follows: in practical terms, did England reallyoverachieve by simply making the semis, as the vast majority of media in the country and beyond seems keen to suggest? — SI.com, "Why England's World Cup Campaign Wasn't the Heroic Overachievment the Hype Would Have You Believe," 12 July 2018 Distraught users begged the company to stop decimating follower counts as socially media savvy celebrities such as Justin Bieber mourned the loss of millions of followers. — Jessica Guynn, USA TODAY, "Twitter purge wipes out a big chunk of Trump, Obama followers — and Twitter's own," 12 July 2018 At the time, Chris Evert, the Hall of Fame American, wrote a letter in Tennis Magazine begging Williams to find a way to shape up and become a legend, rather than a star who disappeared. — Tom Perrotta, WSJ, "Serena Williams Is Making Her Toughest Comeback Look Easy," 12 July 2018 But the department continued to be rocked by scandals after the deaths of children in the state's care, including a Miami boy who died of appendicitis in 2003 after begging guards for medical help. — Carol Marbin Miller, miamiherald, "A painful reunion at school of horror," 11 July 2018 Prime Minister Clement Attlee even begged citizens not to overuse health services. — Sally C. Pipes, Fortune, "Why Does the Left Want Universal Health Care? Britain’s Is on Its Deathbed," 10 July 2018 More than 100 grieving family and friends held a candlelight vigil Wednesday night, trying to make sense of the loss and begging the public for tips that will lead to an arrest in the fatal drive-by shooting. — Wayne K. Roustan, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Teen killed in drive-by shooting wanted to be a lawyer," 6 July 2018 Neruda begged his sister, Laura, to convince their father to cough up funds. — Benjamin Kunkel, The New Republic, "The partisan world of Pablo Neruda," 2 July 2018 All those bare rock formations and unmarred tree trunks are just begging to be graced with your artistic vision. — Madeleine Trebenski, Outside Online, "Rules of the Trail for Terrible People," 1 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'beg.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.