entreat
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
-
to ask (a person) earnestly; beg or plead with; implore
-
to make an earnest request or petition for (something)
-
an archaic word for treat
Synonym Usage
See appeal.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
entreatmentnoun
-
nonentreatingadjective
-
unentreatedadjective
-
unentreatingadjective
-
entreatinglyadverb
-
nonentreatinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
entreatsimple
-
entreatssimple
-
have entreatedperfect
-
has entreatedperfect
-
are entreatingprogressive
-
am entreatingprogressive
-
is entreatingprogressive
-
have been entreatingperfect progressive
-
has been entreatingperfect progressive
Past
-
entreatedsimple
-
had entreatedperfect
-
was entreatingprogressive
-
were entreatingprogressive
-
had been entreatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of entreat
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English entreten, from Middle French entrait(i)er; see origin at en- 1, treat
Explanation
To entreat is to ask for something that is really important, like when you entreat the jury to spare your life. The verb entreat implies that the person doing the entreating is really serious about what has to happen. Maybe it's even a matter of life and death, like when parents entreat their children to never drive drunk. Synonyms for entreat are plead, beg, beseech, and implore — all of these are words not to be used lightly. They carry more weight than ask and request.
Vocabulary lists containing entreat
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Romeo and Juliet
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
It also includes "Entreat Plus," a "completed" version of "Entreat," the 1989 live recording of the Cure at London's Wembley Arena that contained all but four tracks from "Disintegration."
From Reuters • Jun. 25, 2010
"Entreat Plus" finds the act again carefully preserving each album detail live, the raw sound of the cheering crowd sounding curiously stripped.
From Reuters • Jun. 25, 2010
Entreat God that she and ......... may become two shining lamps in the assemblage of the world and the cause of the grandeur and promotion of the divine teachings.
From Tablets of Abdul-Baha Abbas by `Abdu'l-Bahá
Entreat of him to prolong his stay for a week at least, and if I can persuade Withering to come down with me, we 'll try and make his sojourn more agreeable.
From Barrington Volume I (of II) by Lever, Charles James
And the king answered and said unto the man of God, "Entreat now the favor of Jehovah thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again."
From The Bible Story by Hall, Newton Marshall
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.
