beseech
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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beseechernoun
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beseechingnessnoun
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beseechingadjective
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unbeseechingadjective
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beseechinglyadverb
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unbeseechinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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beseechsimple
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beseechessimple
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have beseechedperfect
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have besoughtperfect
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has beseechedperfect
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has besoughtperfect
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am beseechingprogressive
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are beseechingprogressive
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is beseechingprogressive
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have been beseechingperfect progressive
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has been beseechingperfect progressive
Past
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beseechedsimple
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besoughtsimple
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had beseechedperfect
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had besoughtperfect
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was beseechingprogressive
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were beseechingprogressive
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had been beseechingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of beseech
before 1100; Middle English bisechen, Old English besēcan. See be-, seek
Explanation
If you're begging for something but you want to sound formal and a little old-fashioned, say "I beseech you!" It really captures how urgent and desperate you are, yet perhaps saves a shred of your dignity. Beseech sounds a little like seek, which is appropriate. To beseech is to seek for something, or for permission. It is commonly used when people have an urgent request of clergy, or of a formal elder. It definitely adds dramatic undertones to whatever you're talking about. When your very life is on the line, it's your last hope, and you have nowhere else to turn, it's time to start beseeching.
Vocabulary lists containing beseech
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Instead of "Said": Words for Asking and Offering
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"Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, Act III
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See gauze-wear, Monaco swimwear, and weird glowing blue: Beseech the other shucker!
From Slate • Jan. 5, 2019
Nick Blaemire leads the trampoline-a-thon on “We Beseech Thee” with goofball charm.
From New York Times • Nov. 8, 2011
The rest of the ensemble has a more spontaneous energy, and one player, Neil Foster, almost explodes in the up-tempo We Beseech Thee.
From Time Magazine Archive
Beseech you, Captain, let us, with your leave, Produce our presents, treat, and parley with her!
From The Comedies of Terence by Colman, George
Beseech, entreat, and implore imply impassioned earnestness, with direct and tender appeal to personal considerations.
From English Synonyms and Antonyms With Notes on the Correct Use of Prepositions by Fernald, James Champlin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
