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 That hasn’t stopped them from having two teenage, half-vampire sons, which begs some questions about vampire physiology but allows for some solid jokes about superpowered adolescence. — Alison Herman, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026 Commenters on both Babsky and Johnson's makeup artist Georgie Eisdel’s Instagram posts begged the artists to share shade details. — Kara Nesvig, Allure, 8 Oct. 2026 These little light strips are just begging to be tinkered with. — Antonio G. Di Benedetto, The Verge, 6 Oct. 2026 All season long, Golden State Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase has been begging her team to empty the tank. — Marisa Ingemi, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for beg
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beg
Verb
  • The BoMar Club has received just under thirty thousand dollars from the opioid settlement, to fix its roof and bolster outreach efforts, and Coleman was petitioning the commission for more money to redo the floor, which sagged under our feet.
    — Oliver Whang, New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The group already was living in New Mexico when a Georgia juvenile court issued a pickup order for the boy after his mother petitioned for emergency custody.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • After being asked to step out of the chair, a police dog identifies a tin of Altoids in the artist’s pocket.
    — William Vaillancourt, Rolling Stone, 11 Oct. 2026
  • For Lev, assessing what participants take home means asking about their behavior.
    — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Fujimori said millions of Peruvians were praying for the pontiff’s recovery and awaiting further announcements from the Vatican.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Miami’s top Catholic leader is calling on the faithful to pray for Pope Leo XIV after he was diagnosed with lung cancer on Tuesday following a surgical procedure on his lungs.
    — Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Perhaps most importantly, Sweeney implored people to understand that painting is a matter of communication.
    — Wendy S. Walters, Architectural Digest, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Luna implores Yue, recently divorced, not to get stuck in a holding pattern, either in her career or her relationships — but Luna, too, needs to make some changes.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 11 Oct. 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 18 Oct. 2026.

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