beg

verb \ ˈbeg \

|Updated on: 13 Jul 2018

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Examples: beg in a Sentence

Definition of beg

begged; begging

transitive verb

1 : to ask for as a charity (see charity 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 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

See beg defined for English-language learners

See beg defined for kids

Examples of beg in a Sentence

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 of beg from the Web

People are begging Amazon to build a new headquarters there.

— recode staff, Recode, "Full transcript: Jessica Pressler talks ‘lady grifters’ + Ken Auletta on the ‘frenemies’ of the ad business on Recode Media," 24 June 2018
And though Westworld itself may be a $40,000 per day fantasy, its real-life Southwestern backdrop begs to be explored.

— nick davidson, Outside Online, "Visit Westworld for Real," 19 June 2018
Derby season begs for a brand-new wide-brim hat, and football season your best gameday colors.

— kaitlyn yarborough, Southern Living, "What Does It Really Mean To Have Southern Taste?," 8 June 2018
The wide reach of Miranda’s work begs the question of historians: is the inspirational benefit of this cultural phenomenon worth looking past its missteps?

— kate keller, Smithsonian, "The Issue on the Table: Is “Hamilton” Good For History?," 30 May 2018
Sarah Gish The batter is light and crisp — not overcooked — and the salty rings beg for a sweet squiggle of ketchup from the red squirt bottle on the table.

— sarah gish, kansascity, "Batter up: Here are 18 KC-area places to get perfect, golden-fried onion rings," 21 June 2018
In totally-not-dystopian news, Philadelphia citizens are begging Domino’s Pizza to fix the city’s potholes.

— aubrey nagle, Philly.com, "Temple tackles rare heart transplant, Lower Merion public garden at risk | Morning Newsletter," 13 June 2018
Against the Chicago Fire, opportunity after opportunity went begging for the Lions.

— jordan culver, Pro Soccer USA, "Orlando City’s attack not finishing chances without Dom Dwyer," 3 June 2018
Diet Trap: Family-Style Dinners A serving bowl of fluffy mashed potatoes on the table is just begging you to take a second (or third) helping.

— meghan rabbitt, courant.com, "Outsmart Your Appetite By Knowing These Diet Traps," 1 June 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.

Origin and Etymology of beg

Middle English beggen

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

beg Synonyms

Phrases

call on (or upon);

Synonym Discussion of 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

beg

abbreviation

Definition of beg

begin; beginning

BEG Defined for English Language Learners

beg

verb

Definition of beg for English Language Learners

: to ask people for money or food
: to ask (someone) in a very serious and emotional way for something needed or wanted very much
: to ask for (something needed or wanted very much) in a very serious and emotional way