beseech

play

verb be·seech \ bi-ˈsēch , bē- \

Definition of beseech

beseeched or besought play \-ˈsȯt\; beseeching

transitive verb

1 :to beg for urgently or anxiously

beseeched him to write while he was away
—R. W. Hatch

2 :to request earnestly :implore

besought their protection

intransitive verb

:to make supplication

See beseech defined for English-language learners

See beseech defined for kids

Examples of beseech in a Sentence

parishioners ardently beseeched the local bishop not to close their beloved church

Recent Examples of beseech from the Web

Her mother beseeched those who mourned for Heyer to take up her commitment to social justice.

— Alaska Dispatch News, "Hundreds mourn for Heather Heyer, killed during protest in Charlottesville," 17 Aug. 2017
Over that time, Trump’s DOJ and his sham election-integrity commission will seek to disenfranchise as many Democratic voters as possible, while the president himself beseeches further foreign interference aimed at Democratic candidates.

— brian beutler, New Republic, "We’re on the Brink of an Authoritarian Crisis," 21 July 2017
Trump on Thursday had launched a crude Twitter attack on the brains, looks and temperament of Brzezinski, drawing bipartisan howls of outrage and leaving fellow Republicans beseeching him: Stop, please just stop.

— chicago tribune, chicagotribune.com, "MSNBC hosts fire back at Trump Twitter blasts: 'We're OK. The country's not.'," 30 June 2017
During the tense, hour-long hearing in Santa Clara County Superior Court on Thursday, Rastogi read an emotional two-page statement, beseeching the judge to put Gattani behind bars for six full months.

— tracey kaplan, The Mercury News, "Judge approves Palo Alto tech exec’s plea deal despite protests," 15 June 2017
Sanders, who will turn 79 before the next election, was beseeching people not to wait on him to save them.

— the washington post, The Mercury News, "Inspired by Sanders, activists push Democrats to left — or out of the way," 10 June 2017
Like Jouett before him, Hudson beseeched Jefferson to leave.

— michael kranish, Washington Post, "Jefferson fled Monticello to avoid being captured by the British. And he was mocked for it.," 2 June 2017
In addition, high-profile environmental groups across the political spectrum—including the Sierra Club, 350.org, and Catholic Climate Commitment—have all beseeched Trump to stick in the agreement.

— robinson meyer, The Atlantic, "Will the Paris Agreement Be Stronger Without the United States?," 30 May 2017
Norwood’s hour-and-a-half speech had the passionate feel of a trial lawyer beseeching a jury.

— vanityfair.com, VanityFair.com, "Kafka in Vegas: A Murdered Circus Star, a Dubious Confession, and America’s Prosecutorial Misconduct Epidemic," 26 May 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of beseech

Middle English besechen, from be- + sechen to seek

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 12th century

See Words from the same year

beseech Synonyms

Synonyms

appeal (to), beg, besiege, conjure, entreat, impetrate, implore, importune, petition, plead (to), pray, solicit, supplicate

Related Words

bludge [chiefly Australian & New Zealand], cadge, mooch, sponge; ask, desire, invoke, request, sue; claim, coerce, command, compel, demand, force, insist, require

Near Antonyms

hint, imply, intimate, suggest; appease, conciliate, gratify, mollify, oblige, pacify, placate, please, satisfy; comfort, console, content, quiet

Synonym Discussion of beseech

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

BESEECH Defined for English Language Learners

beseech

play

verb

Definition of beseech for English Language Learners

: to beg (someone) for something : to ask (someone) in a serious and emotional way to do something

BESEECH Defined for Kids

beseech

play

verb be·seech \ bi-ˈsēch \

Definition of beseech for Students

besought \-ˈsȯt\ or beseeched; beseeching

:to ask in a serious and emotional way We beseeched the king to let him live.

Learn More about beseech

See words that rhyme with beseech Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for beseech Spanish Central: Translation of beseech Nglish: Translation of beseech for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of beseech for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up beseech? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

beseech

Definition of beseech

Explore Merriam-Webster

Examples of beseech in a Sentence

Recent Examples of beseech from the Web

Origin and Etymology of beseech

beseech Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Synonym Discussion of beseech

BESEECH Defined for English Language Learners

beseech

Definition of beseech for English Language Learners

BESEECH Defined for Kids

beseech

Definition of beseech for Students

Learn More about beseech

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Let's Talk 'Tea'

These Are Fighting Words

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Trending: Ivanka: "An 'Otherwise' Incredible Day"

Words of the Year: 1066