beg

1 of 2

verb

begged; begging

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

beg

2 of 2

abbreviation

begin; beginning
Phrases
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
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
Verb
This is the typical song of someone who is in love and is not ashamed to beg the person. Tere Aguilera, Billboard, 16 Aug. 2024 Something about these feelings begged to be shared. Mieko Kawakami, The New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2024 Its design is curated with soft neutrals and black accents, intimate lighting, stunning plant and floral arrangements, and plush furniture that begs for lounging and long conversations. Osayi Endolyn, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Aug. 2024 Rather than take practical steps to resolve its huge operating deficits, BART prefers to simply beg taxpayers, both locally and across America, for billions more in funding to keep expanding the system far beyond rider demand. Debora Allen, The Mercury News, 10 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for beg 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'beg.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near beg

Cite this Entry

“Beg.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beg. Accessed 9 Sep. 2024.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on beg

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