beg Hear it!

beg Definition

beg (beg)

transitive verb begged, beg′·ging

  1. to ask for as charity or as a gift he begged a dime
  2. to ask for earnestly as a kindness or favor

Etymology: ME beggen < Anglo-Fr begger < begart < OFr begard, religious mendicant < MDu beggaert

intransitive verb

  1. to ask for alms; be a beggar
  2. to ask humbly; entreat

beg Idioms

beg off

to ask to be released from some obligation

beg the question

  1. to use an argument that assumes as proved the very thing one is trying to prove
  2. loosely to evade the issue

go begging

to be available but unwanted

beg Synonyms

beg

v.

  1. To ask earnestly or importunately

    entreat, implore, beseech, ask, supplicate, crave, solicit, pray for, urge, plead, sue, importune, petition, apply to, request, press, call on, call upon, appeal to, requisition, conjure, adjure, apostrophize, canvass; see also ask 1.

    Antonyms order, concede, accede.

  2. To ask alms

    appeal to, ask alms, live on charity, panhandle*, clamor for, solicit*, seek alms, solicit charity, want*, starve*, go from door to door, live from hand to mouth, mendicate, cadge*, mooch*, bum*, sponge*, scrounge*, chisel*, touch*, make a touch*, put the touch on*, hit*, hit up*, pass the hat, pass the cup*.

    Antonyms give*, bestow*, endow.

beg implies humbleness or earnestness in asking for something and is now often used in polite formulas I beg to differ; solicit suggests courtesy and formality in petitioning for something we solicit your aid or a general canvassing to solicit donations; entreat implies the use of all the persuasive power at one's command; beseech suggests fervor or passion in the asking and connotes anxiety over the outcome; implore is stronger still, suggesting desperation or great distress; importune suggests persistence in entreating, often to the point of becoming troublesome or annoying

beg the question

equivocate, dodge, hedge; see evade 1.

go begging

be unwanted, be unpopular, find no takers, be in little demand, be unneeded, be rejected, lose out; see also fail 1.

beg Usage Examples

Object

  • pardon: Rallying in an instant, with the most enviable assurance, he began, - ' I beg ten thousand pardons, Mrs. Maxwell!
  • forgiveness: Has offended God, the King, and the state, and begs forgiveness of all.
  • bowl: Soon Mr Galloway had to turn to Pakistan with his begging bowl.
  • question: The actual turn of events on June 10 begs the question of who needs to learn from whom.
  • alms: Carruthers gave evidence of finding the man begging alms at various shops in Church Street at noon on the previous day.
  • letter: We showed these begging letters to parliamentarians, who expressed shock.

Preposition: on

street: Fewer people will resort to begging on the streets, a benefit to the whole country.

Modifying Another Word

practically: I practically begged them to let me go home.

Infinitive complement

  • differ: He begged to differ on Jack's glowing assessment of the results.
  • disagree: We are going to beg to disagree on this one, I am sorry.
  • move: I beg to move, That the House sit in private.
  • inform: In response, I beg to inform Mr. Howard that the issue is not one of secrecy but one of morality.
  • ask: I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment.

Preposition: in

street: They often had to work long hours or beg in the street to get money for their families.

Preposition: for

  • mercy: I will make you beg for mercy, beg for me to stop.
  • alms: He visited Yogomaia Mosque every Friday where he begged for alms.
  • forgiveness: Each time it was necessary for me to beg for forgiveness to the whole body of believers for my offense of pride.
  • scrap: He'd be lucky to get any food by the time the dogs were all done begging for fresh scraps.
  • money: He would have been begging for money to buy food.
  • food: They have died or been found begging for food from boats.