Synonyms of entreat

entreat 1 of 3

verb (1)

in-ˈtrēt 

as in to beg

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

she began her letter by entreating me to forgive the belatedness of her reply

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

entreating

2 of 3

adjective

as in pleading

asking humbly

it was hard to refuse such an amusingly entreating panhandler

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

entreating

3 of 3

verb (2)

present participle of entreat

as in begging

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

she began her letter by entreating me to forgive the belatedness of her reply

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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

Recent Examples of entreat

Verb

Felder entreats us to reject both optimism and cynicism. —Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026

Maduro became president of Venezuela in 2013, after his predecessor, Hugo Chávez, entreated his supporters to vote Maduro into office after his death. —Essence, 6 Jan. 2026

Verb

In the first film, Evan Rachel Wood played Sally’s eldest daughter, but the actress revealed in 2025 that, despite entreating the production to hire her, she was not asked to return for the sequel. —Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 20 Apr. 2026

This is a question mark of a movie, entreating us to trust in the spirit of the moment. —Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 19 Sep. 2025