implore

verb

im·​plore im-ˈplȯr 

implored; imploring

transitive verb

1

a

: to make an earnest request to (someone) : beg

We earnestly implore you to bow out of the practice of clinical medicine and permit us to get on with our difficult job.

—William Steinsmith

… electronic highway signs implore Californians to "Save Water" and municipalities impose increasingly draconian conservation measures …

—Henry I. Miller

b

: to say (something) as a request in a sincere or urgent manner

"Keep your voice down," implored Lupin.

—J. K. Rowling

… accountability has become a watchword of relief agencies around the world, with new guidelines to help donors know that their aid won't be wasted. Give money, Presidents Bush and Clinton implore, and by implication, leave the rest to professionals.

—Nancy Gibbs

2

: to ask or beg for (something) earnestly

On this repetition of Mr Mantalini's fatal threat, Madame Mantalini wrung her hands, and implored the interference of Ralph Nickleby …

—Charles Dickens

To Neapolitans habitually blending pagan and Christian themes, the volcano also became, through its successive manifestations, a personality against whose rages they implored protection from their patron saint …

—Shirley Hazzard

imploringly adverb

Synonyms

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

Choose the Right Synonym for implore

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 implore in a Sentence

Don't go. I implore you.

“Think of the children!” he implored.

Recent Examples on the Web

But just when the heat is at its hottest, Annie implores Bruno to settle down and start a family with her. —Courtney Howard, Variety, 31 Oct. 2024

Elections staff have been imploring residents to vote early, to avoid a flood of ballots on Election Day. —Grant Stringer, The Mercury News, 31 Oct. 2024

From Jack Harris: At the start of the fifth inning Monday night, the Yankee Stadium scoreboard implored a quiet crowd in the Bronx. —Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2024

The grandson of labor and Latino rights activist Cesar Chavez and the grandson of former U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy Sr. implored union workers in Phoenix to help elect Vice President Kamala Harris and U.S. Senate candidate Ruben Gallego. —Ronald J. Hansen, The Arizona Republic, 25 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle French or Latin; Middle French implorer, from Latin implorare, from in- + plorare to cry out

First Known Use

circa 1550, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

implore

verb

im·​plore im-ˈplō(ə)r 

-ˈplȯ(ə)r

implored; imploring

: to call upon with a humble request : beseech

implored the manager to give her more responsibility

imploringly adverb