implore

verb

im·​plore im-ˈplȯr 

implored; imploring

transitive verb

1

a

: to make an earnest request to (someone) : beg

We earnestly implore you to bow out of the practice of clinical medicine and permit us to get on with our difficult job.

—William Steinsmith

… electronic highway signs implore Californians to "Save Water" and municipalities impose increasingly draconian conservation measures …

—Henry I. Miller

b

: to say (something) as a request in a sincere or urgent manner

"Keep your voice down," implored Lupin.

—J. K. Rowling

… accountability has become a watchword of relief agencies around the world, with new guidelines to help donors know that their aid won't be wasted. Give money, Presidents Bush and Clinton implore, and by implication, leave the rest to professionals.

—Nancy Gibbs

2

: to ask or beg for (something) earnestly

On this repetition of Mr Mantalini's fatal threat, Madame Mantalini wrung her hands, and implored the interference of Ralph Nickleby …

—Charles Dickens

To Neapolitans habitually blending pagan and Christian themes, the volcano also became, through its successive manifestations, a personality against whose rages they implored protection from their patron saint …

—Shirley Hazzard

imploringly adverb

Synonyms of implore

• beg
• petition

Choose the Right Synonym for implore

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 implore in a Sentence

Don't go. I implore you.

“Think of the children!” he implored.

Recent Examples on the Web

The 6-1 vote was met by celebration inside the packed council chambers after dozens spoke out, imploring the council to move forward with the lawsuit. — Elizabeth Hernandez, Denver Post, 7 Aug. 2026

Some lawmakers have gotten involved on behalf of their constituents, imploring the federal government to return the money to constituents directly. — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 6 Aug. 2026

Mullin implored governors to work with the department to help achieve that goal. — Luke Barr, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026

And this was the exact type of situation that I had been emphatically implored to avoid by the Polish detective who told us to head for the Georgian-Turkish border. — Literary Hub, 31 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle French or Latin; Middle French implorer, from Latin implorare, from in- + plorare to cry out

First Known Use

circa 1550, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for implore

• abhor
• abor
• adore
• afore
• ardour
• ashore
• backdoor
• before
• bookstore
• candour
• centaur
• claymore

Kids Definition

implore

verb

im·​plore im-ˈplō(ə)r 

-ˈplȯ(ə)r

implored; imploring

: to call upon with a humble request : beseech

implored the manager to give her more responsibility

imploringly adverb