Synonyms of beseech

beseech 1 of 4

verb (1)

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
• plead (to)
• conjure
• importune
• require
• besiege
• solicit
• call on
• request
• invoke
• compel
• impetrate
• desire
• insist
• coerce
• cadge
• force
• demand
• bludge
• sponge
• claim
• mooch
• command

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

beseeching

2 of 4

adjective

bi-ˈsē-chiŋ 

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

• prayerful
• pleading
• begging
• soliciting
• suppliant
• imploring
• entreating
• persistent
• supplicating
• supplicatory
• supplicant
• insistent
• importunate

beseeching

3 of 4

noun

as in pleading

Related Words

• pleading
• begging
• petition
• entreaty
• supplication
• imploring
• soliciting
• request
• appeal
• suit
• collect
• vespers
• invocation
• thanksgiving
• matins
• prayer
• evensong
• grace
• litany
• requiescat
• orison

beseeching

4 of 4

verb (2)

present participle of beseech

as in begging

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

• begging
• petitioning
• imploring
• asking
• praying
• entreating
• supplicating
• appealing (to)
• conjuring
• pleading (to)
• importuning
• besieging
• requiring
• soliciting
• requesting
• calling on
• invoking
• impetrating
• desiring
• suing
• compelling
• forcing
• insisting
• demanding
• coercing
• cadging
• sponging
• bludging
• claiming
• mooching
• commanding

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• suggesting
• intimating
• implying
• hinting
• pleasing
• gratifying
• obliging
• appeasing
• satisfying
• conciliating
• pacifying
• comforting
• consoling
• placating
• quieting
• mollifying
• contenting

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

Verb

In the original sci-fi novel, Victor Frankenstein is beseeched by his creation to create a companion, but after being plagued by visions of what this second attempt may bring (namely the breeding of additional monsters), the scientist destroys the companion before it is brought to life. — Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 28 Feb. 2026

As Clare Malone reported for The New Yorker, Woodward beseeched Bezos to intercede. — Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 4 Feb. 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