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 The optics practically beg for it. Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 29 Apr. 2026 The Crusher Evo headphones are the upgrade your ears have been begging for. Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 29 Apr. 2026 Or, worse, how do dogs and pigs do it, with their litters, all those tiny mouths begging—is that what’s become of me? Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026 The zoo’s management wanted to put Ziggy down, but Lewis begged that the sentence be commuted to life imprisonment, indoors. Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for beg
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beg
Verb
  • The city of Meriden is also petitioning to retain custody of the two cats with a hearing scheduled for Friday at the Meriden Superior Court.
    Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 30 Apr. 2026
  • In 2009, after petitioning the court to have her ailing father placed under a conservatorship, Catherine was permitted to visit Peter Falk, who was suffering from dementia.
    Assistant Editor, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The team asked people to memorize locations on a graph while smelling the scent of rose.
    Shayla Love, New Yorker, 1 May 2026
  • At one point, Iran asked to move its games to Mexico, but that request was rejected.
    Anne M. Peterson, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
Verb
  • In preparation for the Alaskan wilderness, the Hoffmans and their crew shop for bear guns, bid their wives farewell, and are prayed over by a local pastor (who decides, at the last minute, to join them).
    Jennifer Wilson, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
  • Veterinary technicians took out their tackle boxes of medications and sedated the whale, and then the tribe prayed, drummed, and offered thanks to the whale and to the people who tried to help it.
    Robin Romm, The Atlantic, 2 May 2026
Verb
  • His teammates implored him to receive immediate medical attention.
    Josh Robbins, New York Times, 1 May 2026
  • While the teams were taking batting practice, a small plane flew around Fenway pulling a banner imploring the Red Sox to fire chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and owner John Henry to sell the team.
    ABC News, ABC News, 1 May 2026
Verb
  • Some Cypress Village residents are beseeching the city to keep it that way, even as the HOA applies to let the pickle balling resume.
    Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 24 Apr. 2026
  • Come in great numbers; this we beseech; Help San Diego to win free speech.
    Amelia Soth, JSTOR Daily, 15 Apr. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Beg.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beg. Accessed 7 May. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on beg

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster