Synonyms for Beg
Updated · Synonyms List editorial team
Quick answer: To beg means to ask someone for something with great urgency or by making a desperate plea. You might beg for money, for mercy, or for a simple favor when you feel you have no other option available to you in that moment.
Closest Synonyms for Beg
- implore
- to ask with great intensity; she implored her friend not to leave.
- beseech
- to plead for something with deep emotion; he beseeched the judge for leniency.
- plead
- to make an emotional request; she pleaded for a chance to explain.
- entreat
- to ask someone earnestly to do something; he entreated her to stay.
- supplicate
- to ask for something with humble reverence; the child supplicated for food.
- earnestly ask
- to request with strong feeling; they earnestly asked for help.
- importune
- to bother someone persistently with requests, as when she importuned the manager for a delay.
- solicit
- to ask for or seek something formally, like a writer soliciting contributions for her blog.
- crimp
- to request help with great desperation, such as a child crimping a parent for food.
- begg
- to ask for something by promising payment later, similar to a beggar begg for change with a note.
- harass
- to demand repeatedly until one gives in, like a fan harassing an athlete for an autograph.
- exhort
- to strongly encourage or advise someone to act, though often used where a beg might ask for action.
Informal Synonyms for Beg
- ask around
- to try to get something from various people; he asked around for tickets.
- ask nicely
- to request politely but firmly; she asked nicely for the extra bread.
Stronger and Weaker Words
Antonyms for Beg
- refuse
- reject
- deny
- decline
- withhold
- denial
- refusal
- rejection
- bar
- shut out
- turn away
- spurn
How to Pick the Right Synonym
Choose your word based on the level of desperation you wish to convey. If you need a formal tone, use words like implore or supplicate. For everyday conversation, plead or ask nicely works well. Always consider the relationship between the people involved to ensure the request feels appropriate and respectful.
