entreat

verb

en·​treat in-ˈtrēt 

en-

entreated; entreating; entreats

transitive verb

1

: to plead with especially in order to persuade : ask urgently

entreated his boss for another chance

2

archaic : to deal with : treat

intransitive verb

1

: to make an earnest request : plead

2

obsolete

a

: negotiate

b

: intercede

entreatingly

in-ˈtrē-tiŋ-lē 

en-

adverb

entreatment

in-ˈtrēt-mənt 

en-

noun

Synonyms

• appeal (to)
• beg
• beseech
• besiege
• conjure
• impetrate
• implore
• importune
• petition
• plead (to)
• pray
• solicit
• supplicate

Choose the Right Synonym for entreat

beg, entreat, beseech, implore, supplicate, adjure, importune mean to ask urgently.

beg suggests earnestness or insistence in the asking.

they begged for help

entreat implies an effort to persuade or to overcome resistance.

entreated me to join them

beseech and implore imply a deeply felt anxiety.

I beseech you to have mercy

implored her not to leave him

supplicate suggests a posture of humility.

with bowed heads they supplicated their Lord

adjure implies advising as well as pleading.

we were adjured to tell the truth

importune suggests an annoying persistence in trying to break down resistance to a request.

importuning viewers for contributions

Examples of entreat in a Sentence

I entreat you to help me.

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

Recent Examples on the Web

And always take a moment to reflect and double-check before entreating any personal information and especially financial details. —Zak Doffman, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024

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

Word History

Etymology

Middle English entreten, from Anglo-French entreter, from en- + treter to treat

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 2a

Kids Definition

entreat

verb

en·​treat in-ˈtrēt 

: to ask in a serious and urgent manner : plead, beg

entreatingly

-iŋ-lē 

adverb