Synonyms of beseech

beseech

verb

bi-ˈsēch 

as in to beg

to make a request to (someone) in an earnest or urgent manner

parishioners ardently beseeched the local bishop not to close their beloved church

Synonyms & Similar Words

• beg
• petition
• implore
• pray
• entreat
• ask
• appeal (to)
• supplicate
• call upon
• plead (to)
• conjure
• importune
• require
• besiege
• solicit
• call on
• invoke
• request
• compel
• impetrate
• desire
• insist
• coerce
• cadge
• force
• demand
• bludge
• claim
• mooch
• sponge
• command

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• suggest
• imply
• please
• hint
• oblige
• satisfy
• appease
• gratify
• intimate
• placate
• conciliate
• pacify
• comfort
• quiet
• content
• mollify
• console

Synonym Chooser

How is the word beseech distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of beseech are adjure, beg, entreat, implore, importune, and supplicate. While all these words mean "to ask urgently," beseech and implore imply a deeply felt anxiety.

I beseech you to have mercy

implored her not to leave him

In what contexts can adjure take the place of beseech?

While in some cases nearly identical to beseech, adjure implies advising as well as pleading.

we were adjured to tell the truth

When is beg a more appropriate choice than beseech?

The words beg and beseech are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, beg suggests earnestness or insistence in the asking.

they begged for help

When is it sensible to use entreat instead of beseech?

The meanings of entreat and beseech largely overlap; however, entreat implies an effort to persuade or to overcome resistance.

entreated me to join them

When could importune be used to replace beseech?

Although the words importune and beseech have much in common, importune suggests an annoying persistence in trying to break down resistance to a request.

importuning viewers for contributions

Where would supplicate be a reasonable alternative to beseech?

In some situations, the words supplicate and beseech are roughly equivalent. However, supplicate suggests a posture of humility.

with bowed heads they supplicated their Lord

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of beseech

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

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

Roan gave a heartfelt speech while accepting the award, beseeching the music industry to provide healthcare and support for developing artists. —Eric Torres, Pitchfork, 3 Feb. 2025

Thomas is a newlywed whose wife, Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp), beseeches him not to go, but the ambitious young man nonetheless heads off to the Carpathians, leaving her in the care of his friend Harding (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). —Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024