Synonyms of ask

ask 1 of 2

verb (1)

ˈask 

1

as in to interrogate

to put a question or questions to

my coworkers asked me all about my trip to Machu Picchu

Synonyms & Similar Words

• interrogate
• question
• quiz
• inquire (of)
• query
• catechize
• grill
• examine
• cross-examine
• bombard
• survey
• cross-question
• pump
• besiege
• poll

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• answer
• respond
• reply
• observe
• comment
• avoid
• remark
• rejoin
• retort
• duck

2

as in to request

to make a request of

ask the salesclerk for assistance

Synonyms & Similar Words

• request
• invite
• beg
• hit (up)
• call on
• pray
• solicit
• require
• petition
• invoke
• beseech
• implore
• appeal (to)
• conjure
• plead (to)
• entreat
• supplicate
• importune
• demand
• exact
• enjoin
• press

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• require
• compel
• force
• oblige
• coerce
• constrain

3

as in to charge

to set or receive as a price

they are only asking $300 for that antique grandfather clock

Synonyms & Similar Words

• charge
• demand
• bring
• fetch
• command
• assess
• sell (for)
• discount
• price
• mark up
• overcharge
• undercharge
• value
• mark down
• bill
• invoice

4

as in to invite

to request the presence or participation of

a fixture on the party circuit, that couple is always asking people over for dinner

Synonyms & Similar Words

• invite
• bid
• solicit
• call
• summon
• beckon

ask (for)

2 of 2

verb (2)

1

as in to seek

to make a request for

don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it

Synonyms & Similar Words

• seek
• request
• speak (for)
• call (for)
• plead (for)
• sue (for)
• wish (for)
• apply (for)
• beg (for)
• desire
• press (for)
• require
• quest
• petition (for)
• clamor (for)
• insist (on)
• urge
• demand
• claim
• solicit
• invite
• invoke
• bespeak
• exact
• enjoin
• importune
• requisition

2

as in to woo

to act so as to make (something) more likely

you are asking for trouble if you invite her ex to the wedding

Synonyms & Similar Words

• woo
• invite
• fish (for)
• look for
• seek
• flirt (with)
• court
• angle (for)
• search
• hunt
• tempt
• provoke

3

as in to order

to give a request or demand for

the surgeon asked for the scalpel

Synonyms & Similar Words

• request
• order
• put in (for)
• call for
• requisition
• hire
• charter
• solicit
• license
• commission

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of ask

Verb

As a safety precaution, police say purchasers should ask to see the property under consideration before giving money in return. —Paula Wethington, CBS News, 19 Feb. 2026

But the signs that the union guys were right were confirmed when the typically highly articulate JB Pritzker was reduced to a stutter when a reporter asked the governor of Illinois how things were progressing with negotiations with the Bears to build a stadium in Arlington Heights. —The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2026

Leeper asked if Dauphinais’s statement was a question. —Kaitlin McCallum, Hartford Courant, 19 Feb. 2026

Boyfriend Connor Watkins then dropped to one knee and pulled out a ring for her, before asking Johnson to marry him. —Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Feb. 2026

Phrases Containing ask

• ask (for)