implore

American  

[im-plawr] / ɪmˈplɔr /

verb (used with object)

• implores,
  present (3rd person singular)
• implored,
  past participle,  past
• imploring
  present participle

1. to beg urgently or piteously, as for aid or mercy; beseech; entreat.

   They implored him to go.

2. to beg urgently or piteously for (aid, mercy, pardon, etc.).

   implore forgiveness.

   Synonyms:

   solicit, beg, crave

   Antonyms:

   reject, spurn

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verb (used without object)

• implores,
  present (3rd person singular)
• implored,
  past participle,  past
• imploring
  present participle

1. to make urgent or piteous supplication.

implore British  

/ ɪmˈplɔː /

verb

1. to beg or ask (someone) earnestly (to do something); plead with; beseech

2. to ask earnestly or piteously for; supplicate; beg

   to implore someone's mercy

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• imploration
  noun
• implorer
  noun
• imploringness
  noun
• implorable
  adjective
• imploratory
  adjective
• unimplorable
  adjective
• unimplored
  adjective
• imploringly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Participles

• imploring
  present
• implored
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• implore
  simple
• implores
  simple
• have implored
  perfect
• has implored
  perfect
• am imploring
  progressive
• are imploring
  progressive
• is imploring
  progressive
• have been imploring
  perfect progressive
• has been imploring
  perfect progressive

Past

• implored
  simple
• had implored
  perfect
• was imploring
  progressive
• were imploring
  progressive
• had been imploring
  perfect progressive

Future

• will implore
  simple
• will have implored
  perfect
• will be imploring
  progressive
• will have been imploring
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of implore

First recorded in 1530–40; from Latin implōrāre, equivalent to im- “in” ( see im- ¹) + plōrāre “to lament”

Explanation

You might ask your friend for a loan if you're short a few bucks, but if the bank is about to foreclose on your house you'll implore your friend for the money, desperately begging for the cash so you can keep your house. The word implore is often used to describe an urgent request made out of desperation. A man on death row might implore the governor to grant him a last-minute pardon. In the old days, you might have heard the word spoken by someone with lousy aim at a duel — "I implore you not to shoot me, my good man!" Today, this first-person use of the word sounds old-fashioned, although you might still hear it in a period drama.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

implore implores implored imploring

Crypto accounts, bank accounts and even eBay accounts are also vulnerable to phishing scams where thieves send an email with a link and implore you to click.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026

At the same event, Security Minister Dan Jarvis will implore AI firms to work with the government on the "generational endeavour" to make sure AI is used to protect critical networks from attackers.

From BBC ● Apr. 21, 2026

And as corny as that may seem, I implore you: If you have even one microscopic iota of curiosity, see this film.

From Salon ● Mar. 21, 2026

Today U.S. allies implore Ukraine for drone help.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 18, 2026

Dismayed and very hungry and thirsty, he was forced to hurry off to the god and implore him to take his favor back.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton

He meets his slightly older schoolmate Olympia, one of Eggers’ most beguiling creations, when she implores him to scrawl scatological bathroom graffiti on a playground structure in Old-English typography.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2026

He implores Congress to invoke this clause to make a case for new voting rights legislation that can address the post-Callais landscape.

From Slate ● Jun. 4, 2026

Her book implores readers to embrace the struggle.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 2026

In the blog post, Gates also implores rich nations to restore funding cuts that the foundation said led to the rise in deaths among children last year.

From Barron's ● Jan. 9, 2026

"Every class and every individual must help us create the new Reich," Hitler implores.

From "The Boy Who Dared" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

“Front of house, make sure Bill’s bell is ripping,” Beck implored the sound techs at the Bowl.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2026

This is a topic that is raised in these pages from time to time — most recently by this reader who implored more Americans to start saving early and not to be intimidated by money.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 16, 2026

"Do not be afraid to take the path out of this war. That is the main thing that is required of you now," he implored.

From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also implored Tehran to "return to the negotiating table and stop holding the region and the world hostage", echoing calls from French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

From Barron's ● May 5, 2026

Tell them, a voice in his mind implored.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

For years, we have ended the Supreme Court term with our Slate readers and Amicus listeners imploring us: “But what can we do?”

From Slate ● Jul. 18, 2026

But in a way, you were doing exactly that with your friend by imploring him to shift his funds into assets that would yield a return of 8% to 9%, even before inflation.

From MarketWatch ● May 18, 2026

Tilson Thomas made a habit of imploring his orchestras and audience members to trust him and “come inside the music,” and his talents and charismatic personality attracted attention and praise worldwide.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 23, 2026

Melanoma doctors organized and sent a letter to the FDA imploring it to approve RP1.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 21, 2026

I can remember spending many an hour in my boyhood, arms resolutely outstretched in an empty field, imploring what I believed to be Mars to transport me there.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

Related Words

• beseech
• plead
• pray
• urge