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 As demand for assistance overwhelmed state unemployment trust funds, frantic local officials begged for federal action. Will Swaim, Oc Register, 1 June 2025 Children in the background could be heard crying and begging for the adults to stop fighting. Michael Nied, People.com, 30 May 2025 In the end, this story begs the question: How much is a fish worth? Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 29 May 2025 Like William Zabka back in the day, Knight nicely inhabits the unstoppable karate villain role, though the movie begs to spend a little more time with him. Brian Truitt, USA Today, 29 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for beg
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beg
Verb
  • This union action against the company comes about six months after the Editors Guild and the Writers Guild of America East jointly petitioned Story Syndicate to finalize a fair deal.
    Katie Campione, Deadline, 6 June 2025
  • Career federal employees like Pyatt are supposed to be able to petition for a transfer or receive preference in hiring at other agencies.
    J. David McSwane, ProPublica, 4 June 2025
Verb
  • But some Colombians have also asked the president to tone down his rhetoric against opposition leaders.
    Manuel Rueda, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025
  • Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin asked.
    Greg Wehner , Bill Melugin, FOXNews.com, 9 June 2025
Verb
  • Day after day, DeVos and her family consistently prayed for Eliana to recover.
    Jacqueline Howard, CNN Money, 2 June 2025
  • Later that evening, as his mother prays for the family’s future, they are visited by three mysterious kings on a journey to visit a newborn child.
    Greg Evans, Deadline, 2 June 2025
Verb
  • Still, Armour implored readers to be more like Biles than Gaines.
    Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 8 June 2025
  • But the crowds at the events grew so large that migrants camped outside and fought for spots in line, leading Valencia to implore City Council for help at a budget hearing in October 2023.
    Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 6 June 2025
Verb
  • The quiet that followed Heiss’s departure had an almost beseeching quality, like a cat rubbing against Prima’s calves.
    Lillian Fishman, New Yorker, 4 May 2025
  • That was most visible in 2008, when he was beseeched by corporate executives and the George W. Bush administration to help the global financial system from melting down.
    Michael J. de la Merced, New York Times, 4 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Beg.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beg. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.

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