Synonyms of beg

beg

verb

ˈbeg 

as in to petition

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

she begged her husband to give up extreme skiing

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonym Chooser

How is the word beg distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of beg are adjure, beseech, entreat, implore, importune, and supplicate. While all these words mean "to ask urgently," beg suggests earnestness or insistence in the asking.

they begged for help

Where would adjure be a reasonable alternative to beg?

Although the words adjure and beg have much in common, adjure implies advising as well as pleading.

we were adjured to tell the truth

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

Both beseech and implore imply a deeply felt anxiety.

I beseech you to have mercy

implored her not to leave him

In what contexts can entreat take the place of beg?

The synonyms entreat and beg are sometimes interchangeable, but entreat implies an effort to persuade or to overcome resistance.

entreated me to join them

When is it sensible to use importune instead of beg?

In some situations, the words importune and beg are roughly equivalent. However, importune suggests an annoying persistence in trying to break down resistance to a request.

importuning viewers for contributions

When might supplicate be a better fit than beg?

While the synonyms supplicate and beg are close in meaning, supplicate suggests a posture of humility.

with bowed heads they supplicated their Lord

Examples of beg in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Neely was begging for money, shouting about being willing to die or go to jail, and making sudden movements, according to witnesses. —Jennifer Peltz, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2024

On May 1, 2023, Penny, an architecture student who served four years in the U.S. Marine Corps, was on the New York City subway where Neely, a 30-year-old homeless street performer, was begging for money. —Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024

Hitchens became an early study, often begging his mom to visit the library to read up on spooky tales. —Isaac Avilucea, Axios, 31 Oct. 2024

Proper English With a Bow on Top The floral hem on these jeans was just begging to be a blouse, and the key was finding one with a black background. —Jane Herman, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2024