beg, entreat, beseech, implore, supplicate, adjure, importune mean to ask urgently. beg suggests earnestness or insistence in the asking.

There are more and more homeless people begging on the streets these days. She had to beg for money and food for her children. He begged a loan from his boss.

Beg may imply no more than standard courtesy (forgive me, I beg you), but in less formulaic expressions it usually suggests a respectful seriousness: I begged her to tell me what was troubling her.

If you beg someone to do something, you ask them very anxiously or eagerly to do it. I begged him to come back to England with me. [VERB noun to-infinitive] I begged to be allowed to leave. [VERB to …

idiom (beg the question) To assume to be true what one is purporting to prove in an argument. idiom (beg the question) To call to mind a question in a discussion; invite or provoke a question.

To ask for (something) in an urgent or humble manner. Beg someone's forgiveness; beg a favor.

BEG definition: to ask for as a gift, as charity, or as a favor: to beg forgiveness. See examples of beg used in a sentence.

To beg is to earnestly or humbly ask or plead for something from someone. It typically is an expression of needing help, often in situations of poverty or desperation.

Mar 31, 2026 · beg (third-person singular simple present begs, present participle begging, simple past and past participle begged) (intransitive) To request the help of someone, often in the form of money.

The phrase I beg your pardon is used in polite speech to apologize when you have done something impolite or when you have made a mistake. I beg your pardon. [= sorry, excuse me] I didn't mean to …