beg

¹ American  

[beg] / bɛg /

verb (used with object)

begged, begging

1. to ask for as a gift, as charity, or as a favor: to beg forgiveness.

   to beg alms;

   to beg forgiveness.

2. to ask (someone) to give or do something; implore.

   He begged me for mercy.

   Sit down, I beg you.

   Synonyms:

   petition, beseech, pray, entreat

3. to take for granted without basis or justification.

   a statement that begs the very point we're disputing.

4. to fail or refuse to come to grips with; avoid; evade.

   a report that consistently begs the whole problem.

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verb (used without object)

begged, begging

1. to ask alms or charity; live by asking alms.

2. to ask humbly or earnestly: begging to differ.

   begging for help;

   begging to differ.

3. (of a dog) to sit up, as trained, in a posture of entreaty.

verb phrase

1. beg off to request or obtain release from an obligation, promise, etc..

   He had promised to drive us to the recital but begged off at the last minute.

idioms

1. go begging, to remain open or available, as a position that is unfilled or an unsold item.

   The job went begging for lack of qualified applicants.

2. beg the question,

   1. to assume the truth of the very point raised in a question.

   2. to evade the issue or avoid a direct answer.

   3. to raise the question; inspire one to ask.

beg ² American  

[beyg, beg] / beɪg, bɛg /

noun

1. bey.

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beg. ³ American  

abbreviation

1. begin.

2. beginning.

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beg ¹ British  

/ bɛɡ /

verb

1. to solicit (for money, food, etc), esp in the street

2. to ask (someone) for (something or leave to do something) formally, humbly, or earnestly

   I beg forgiveness

   I beg to differ

3. (intr) (of a dog) to sit up with forepaws raised expectantly

4. to leave unanswered or unresolved

   to beg a point

5. 1. to evade the issue

   2. to assume the thing under examination as proved

   3. to suggest that a question needs to be asked

      the firm's success begs the question: why aren't more companies doing the same?

6. to be unwanted or unused

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beg ² British  

/ bɛɡ /

noun

1. a variant of bey

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beg More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing beg

• go begging

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Usage

The use of beg the question to mean that a question needs to be asked is considered by some people to be incorrect

Related Words

Beg and request are used in certain conventional formulas, in the sense of ask. Beg, once a part of many formal expressions used in letter writing, debate, etc., is now used chiefly in such courteous formulas as I beg your pardon; The Committee begs to state, etc. Request, more impersonal and now more formal, is used in giving courteous orders (You are requested to report) and in commercial formulas like to request payment.

Other Word Forms

• half-begging adjective
• unbegged adjective

Etymology

Origin of beg¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English beggen, by assimilation from unattested Old English bedican, variant of bedecian “to beg”; compare Gothic bidagwa “beggar”

Origin of beg²

First recorded in 1680–90; from Ottoman Turkish; bey

Example Sentences

“Vladimir” begs comparison to two other fairly recent defunct and superior comedies, for different reasons.

From The Wall Street Journal

Hard to believe I used to beg my parents to let me do that.

From Literature

What you refer to as “dry begging” and constantly pushing your boundaries in an effort to get you to lower them is also known as FOG: fear, obligation and guilt.

From MarketWatch

She had so many boys begging to text her.

From Literature

I was forced along with the tide, squished and squeezed as someone in the front of the room begged for everyone to come back, informing them again and again that this meeting wasn’t over.

From Literature

Related Words

• ask
• beseech
• implore
• plead
• pray
• solicit
• sue
• urge