entreat

Synonym Chooser

How is the word entreat distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of entreat are adjure, beg, beseech, implore, importune, and supplicate. While all these words mean "to ask urgently," entreat implies an effort to persuade or to overcome resistance.

entreated me to join them

When could adjure be used to replace entreat?

The words adjure and entreat can be used in similar contexts, but adjure implies advising as well as pleading.

we were adjured to tell the truth

When is beg a more appropriate choice than entreat?

Although the words beg and entreat have much in common, beg suggests earnestness or insistence in the asking.

they begged for help

How are the words beseech and implore related as synonyms of entreat?

Both beseech and implore imply a deeply felt anxiety.

I beseech you to have mercy
implored her not to leave him

Where would importune be a reasonable alternative to entreat?

While the synonyms importune and entreat are close in meaning, importune suggests an annoying persistence in trying to break down resistance to a request.

importuning viewers for contributions

In what contexts can supplicate take the place of entreat?

The synonyms supplicate and entreat are sometimes interchangeable, but 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 entreat At Dragonstone, Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) entreats Ser Steffon Darklyn (Anthony Flanagan) to attempt mounting the riderless dragon Seasmoke, because his lineage shows Targaryen blood. Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 21 July 2024 The agency is also entreating the diagnostics industry to develop additional kinds of H5N1 tests, to broaden the nation’s portfolio of viral detection capabilities. Megan Molteni, STAT, 2 July 2024 Yet both Hindenburg and the sitting Chancellor, Franz von Papen, had been firm never-Hitler men, and naïvely entreated Hitler to recognize his own unsuitability for the role. Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024 While many business heads have been entreating Trump to adjust his tariff policy, Griffin believes sports team owners would be a particular influential group the 78-year-old president would listen to. Scott Soshnick, Sportico.com, 3 Sep. 2019 See All Example Sentences for entreat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for entreat
Verb
  • Each room and common area feels like a treasure box; there’s hardly an inch of space that doesn’t beg you to stop, snap a photo, and admire the artistic composition.
    Lydia Mansel, Southern Living, 10 Sep. 2025
  • The Academy is forcing me to beg political people to screen and select my film.
    Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • In 2021, at the height of the pandemic, Kennedy petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to revoke authorization of COVID-19 vaccines and refrain from approving any future COVID-19 vaccines.
    Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 12 Sep. 2025
  • In 2016, the Mans petitioned to become Natalia’s legal guardians; however, a hearing was required to determine whether Natalia was a minor or a legal adult.
    Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 12 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Entreat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/entreat. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.

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