beseech 1 of 4

Definition of beseechnext

beseeching

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adjective

as in prayerful
asking humbly a beseeching letter from his parents asking him to bring the grandchildren for a long overdue visit

Synonyms & Similar Words

beseeching

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noun

beseeching

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verb (2)

present participle of beseech

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

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 beseech
Verb
As Clare Malone reported for The New Yorker, Woodward beseeched Bezos to intercede. Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 4 Feb. 2026 As Trump sent thousands of troops and elite military ships to the region in the lead-up to the Jan. 3 raid, Machado beseeched him to intervene in her country and topple Maduro. Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 16 Jan. 2026
Adjective
This case has seen lot of what amounts to table-pounding by the defense, with a constant rat-a-tat-tat of motions, demands for discovery, followed by more beseeching requests. Howard Blum, Washington Post, 26 June 2024 The same beseeching gaze gets complicated by a character like Dre—at once naïve and ruthless, in control yet entirely lost. Inkoo Kang, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2023
Noun
Prayer is a basic practice of almost all religions, and what is prayer if not a beseeching of a synchronicity from God? Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2025
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 See All Example Sentences for beseech
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beseech
Adjective
  • The Sagrada Família was founded as an expiatory church, meaning that it would be financed by prayerful donations from people atoning for their sins.
    D. T. Max, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
  • Pärt’s formulas, born out of long, prayerful periods with sacred texts, offer beauty in the warmth and friction of relationships: melody and tintinnabuli, word and the limits of language, sounds and silence.
    Jeffers Engelhardt, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • His firm twice praised the 2021 affidavit option in early court pleadings but made no mention in hearings of its disappearance from the new plan.
    Craig R. McCoy, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026
  • His prosecutors are so overworked that some are missing deadlines set by the court, Grant said in the April 16 pleading.
    Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Violators can be punished with fines up to $500 and three months in jail under one anti-begging law and with fines starting at up to $100 and 10 days in jail under a law against soliciting contributions from people in cars.
    Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 1 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Hillsborough County Court records also showed two domestic violence petitions filed by a family member in 2023.
    Claudia Lauer, Sun Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2026
  • In April of last year, the Supreme Court ruled that the habeas corpus petitions required in such cases can only be filed individually, rather than in groups as part of a nationwide class action.
    Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 24 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • But Epstein’s entreaties to Keita were not limited to business.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2026
  • On the demand of the Commons, Suffolk is exiled for his part in Gloucester’s death despite the queen’s entreaties to the king.
    Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Like the appeals made by women during the antiquity to midwife goddesses, prayer and supplication were ways to affirm intentions for healthy pregnancies, calm labors, and living children.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Mar. 2026
  • Under Jordan’s steely command, deep house, disco, and UK garage all bend in supplication to the almighty groove.
    Pitchfork, Pitchfork, 4 Dec. 2025
Noun
  • But Old Trafford’s direct imploring of him to stay beyond the end of the current season should leave them in no doubt.
    Mark Critchley, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The man who was shot was possibly under the influence, according to the person who reported the soliciting.
    Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Apr. 2026
  • Truist is seeking compensatory damages, an injunction against further soliciting and hiring of its employees, and attorney fees.
    Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 29 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Beseech.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beseech. Accessed 1 May. 2026.

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