Definition of begnext

Synonym Chooser

How is the word beg distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of beg are adjure, beseech, entreat, implore, importune, and supplicate. While all these words mean "to ask urgently," beg suggests earnestness or insistence in the asking.

they begged for help

Where would adjure be a reasonable alternative to beg?

Although the words adjure and beg have much in common, adjure implies advising as well as pleading.

we were adjured to tell the truth

How are the words beseech and implore related as synonyms of beg?

Both beseech and implore imply a deeply felt anxiety.

I beseech you to have mercy
implored her not to leave him

In what contexts can entreat take the place of beg?

The synonyms entreat and beg are sometimes interchangeable, but entreat implies an effort to persuade or to overcome resistance.

entreated me to join them

When is it sensible to use importune instead of beg?

In some situations, the words importune and beg are roughly equivalent. However, importune suggests an annoying persistence in trying to break down resistance to a request.

importuning viewers for contributions

When might supplicate be a better fit than beg?

While the synonyms supplicate and beg are close in meaning, supplicate suggests a posture of humility.

with bowed heads they supplicated their Lord

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of beg Officers tried to move him to another cell, but the other men begged them not to, saying his song and prayer put their minds at ease. — Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2026 Guria remains poor enough that a municipal beauty pageant can offer a food processor — beg pardon, a food processor and its instruction booklet — as its top prize. — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026 Users posted comments begging for the band to release the full song. — Charles Moss, SPIN, 16 Sep. 2026 Guthrie and her her siblings have made several videos begging for clues about their matriarch’s disappearance including one message offering a $1 million reward for clues leading to her recovery. — Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 15 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for beg
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beg
Verb
  • Mullens was one of three female swimmers who formally petitioned the Virginia State Board of Health to enact the regulation, along with Hungarian Olympian Réka György and former Roanoke teammate Carter Satterfield.
    — Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2026
  • New Jersey’s attorney general petitioned the Supreme Court, asking the justices to step in.
    — Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 19 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • One month before the Pentagon announced its first equity stake in a company, its top lawyer asked the White House to explain why the deal wouldn’t break the law.
    — Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Alaska voters will once again be asked to decide whether to keep or scrap their election method this fall.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • These are the moments, the opportunities, the games every NFL youngster, backup, fringe roster player prays for.
    — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2026
  • The new arc picks up in early fall, as the Shu clan’s southern territory prepares to host the Harvest Festival, a ritual in which the Crown Prince and the Maidens pray for a plentiful harvest.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 20 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • In her first week at Spelman College in Atlanta, one of Harris’ teachers implored her to switch from medicine to a political science track.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Despite the defendant’s apparent squeaky-clean life, ADA Martin-Klein implored the judge not to give Santiago a second chance.
    — Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 18 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • In The Ginger Man, Dangerfield repeatedly beseeches Blessed Oliver to get him out of jams.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The play is set in a lecture hall in 1890, as Theo (played by Pasternak) recounts his memories of Vincent and beseeches the audience — and the world — to understand his brother.
    — Steve Palopoli, Mercury News, 2 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Beg.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beg. Accessed 28 Sep. 2026.

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