implore
Americanverb (used with object)
-
implores,
present (3rd person singular)
-
implored,
past participle, past
-
imploring
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
implores,
present (3rd person singular)
-
implored,
past participle, past
-
imploring
present participle
verb
-
to beg or ask (someone) earnestly (to do something); plead with; beseech
-
to ask earnestly or piteously for; supplicate; beg
to implore someone's mercy
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
implorationnoun
-
implorernoun
-
imploringnessnoun
-
implorableadjective
-
imploratoryadjective
-
unimplorableadjective
-
unimploredadjective
-
imploringlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
imploresimple
-
imploressimple
-
have imploredperfect
-
has imploredperfect
-
am imploringprogressive
-
are imploringprogressive
-
is imploringprogressive
-
have been imploringperfect progressive
-
has been imploringperfect progressive
Past
-
imploredsimple
-
had imploredperfect
-
was imploringprogressive
-
were imploringprogressive
-
had been imploringperfect progressive
Future
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.
Vocabulary lists containing implore
The Diary of Anne Frank
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!
List 2
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.
See Examples For:
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
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
"I implore MSPs to have the courage of your convictions."
From BBC ● Mar. 17, 2026
I implore you to ask Admiral Sutterjee to reconsider this decision.
From "Adrift" by Paul Griffin
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
Evgeny agrees to share, but implores Dmitri not to eat it all because he “had to pawn off a bit of mother’s good silver and then wait three hours in line.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 26, 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
Moments later, she implores Charlie to hire an “ugly guy” to do his taxes, and she brushes off a $10,000 payday Tallulah gets as “nothing.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 24, 2025
"Every class and every individual must help us create the new Reich," Hitler implores.
From "The Boy Who Dared" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
As a shopper whose splurges occasionally extend to discounted gadgets and hot dogs, the Costco faithful have implored me to think bigger.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
During her set she implored Rodrigo to make the festival an annual tradition.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2026
"I have some important documents I really need," he implored.
From Barron's ● Aug. 30, 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
“Dear Lord, don’t cry! Please don’t cry, child!” she implored.
From "Tuck Everlasting" by Natalie Babbit
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
Rob Murray sent videos of Rice to programs across the country, imploring their recruiters to come see the sweet lefty swing for themselves.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 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
Abrams, Jane Fonda and Kristen Stewart, have signed an open letter imploring Bonta and other regulators to block the merger.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 8, 2026
His voice was imploring; it was as though he were begging to be reassured.
From "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
