ask
verb (used with object)
to put a question to; inquire of.
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ask
1 American
[ask, ahsk]
/ æsk, ɑsk /
verb (used with object)
asks,
present (3rd person singular)
asked,
past participle, past
asking
present participle
-
to put a question to; inquire of.
I asked him but he didn't answer.
- Synonyms:
- interrogate, question
- Antonyms:
- answer
-
to request information about.
to ask the way.
-
to try to get by using words; request.
to ask advice; to ask a favor.
-
to solicit from; request of.
Could I ask you a favor? Ask her for advice.
-
to demand; expect.
What price are they asking? A little silence is all I ask.
-
to set a price of.
to ask $20 for the hat.
-
to call for; need; require.
This experiment asks patience.
-
to invite.
to ask guests to dinner.
-
Archaic. to publish (banns).
verb (used without object)
asks,
present (3rd person singular)
asked,
past participle, past
asking
present participle
noun
-
a question or inquiry.
-
a request, especially a demanding one.
Is it too big an ask for you to give me a loan?
idioms
Ask
2
American
[ahsk]
/ ɑsk /
noun
Scandinavian Mythology.
ask
1
British
/ ɑːsk /
verb
-
(often foll by about) to put a question (to); request an answer (from)
she asked (him) about God
-
(tr) to inquire about
she asked him the time of the train
she asked the way
-
(tr) to direct or put (a question)
-
to make a request or demand
she asked (him) for information
they asked for a deposit
-
(tr) to demand or expect (esp in the phrases ask a lot of, ask too much of )
-
Also: ask out. ask over. (tr) to request (a person) politely to come or go to a place; invite
he asked her to the party
-
(tr) to need; require
the job asks both time and patience
-
archaic (tr) to proclaim (marriage banns)
noun
Ask
2
British
/ ɑːsk /
noun
ask
More Idioms
Usage
What is a basic definition of ask? Ask is a verb that means to present a question to someone, to request something, or to invite someone. Ask has several other senses as a verb and a noun. If you are asking someone something, you usually want answers from them. When asking about something, you might pose several questions or politely request information about something.
- Real-life examples: Students ask teachers questions about things that confuse them. If you forget your watch, you might ask someone what time it is. You might need to ask a store employee where the bathroom is.
- Used in a sentence: We asked the teacher which chapters would be on the test.
- Real-life examples: Children ask Santa Claus for presents at Christmas. Your mom asks you to clean your room. When you love someone, you might ask them to marry you.
- Used in a sentence: I asked Bill if I could borrow his shovel.
- Real-life examples: You can ask your friends over for a party. Your grandparents might ask you to come and visit.
- Used in a sentence: Jin asked Maria out for a date on Saturday.
Synonym Usage
See inquire.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
asksimple
-
askssimple
-
have askedperfect
-
has askedperfect
-
am askingprogressive
-
are askingprogressive
-
is askingprogressive
-
have been askingperfect progressive
-
has been askingperfect progressive
Past
-
askedsimple
-
had askedperfect
-
was askingprogressive
-
were askingprogressive
-
had been askingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of ask1
First recorded before 900; Middle English asken, axen, Old English āscian, āxian; cognate with Old Frisian āskia, Old Saxon ēscon, Old High German eiscōn ( German heischen ), Sanskrit icchati “(he) seeks”
Origin of Ask2
< Old Norse Askr; see ash 2
Explanation
To ask is to pose a question or request something. If you say "What time is lunch?", then you're asking a question. You've probably heard people say "Can I ask you a question?" That pretty much sums up what asking is: trying to get information or make a request. A teacher asks students to answer questions, but a student has to ask the teacher for permission to use the bathroom. In business, the asking price is the amount the seller wants you to pay. Asking is how you find things out and get what you need.
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:
But ask anyone in New Haven about the climate, and they will tell you it is a wonderful place to live.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
Both "Christian" and Leto would ask similar, explicit questions, she says - adding she "would not be surprised" if they were the same person.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
And 10 days earlier, the program moved into its new, state-of-the-art football facility, with all the amenities anyone could ask for.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
You can ask what this defendant actually did.
From Slate ● Jul. 28, 2026
You know I could just ask her if she likes you?”
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Amazon's Kindle has its own version: "Ask this Book," described as an "expert reading assistant" that answers questions about plot and characters "without disrupting your reading flow."
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
Ask your guests about their allergies and snack preferences then put together a snack basket.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
Ask yourself what things seem to be in jeopardy in our Constitution and find a way to make a change for those.
From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026
Ask yourself these three questions to decide if a travel-rewards card makes financial sense for you.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
“You'll talk mighty meek now. But you needn’t have come back. There’s not anything left. Ask Uncle Maury, if you dont believe me.”
From "The Sound and the Fury" by William Faulkner
After Valkyrae asks whether his answer was a spoiler, Lacy seemingly tones down his enthusiasm for the character.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
Jouppi is the case that asks them to stop musing.
From Slate ● Jul. 28, 2026
Whenever someone asks whether they should hire a financial adviser, I often see responses like, “Don’t do it. You’re just giving away your money.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 25, 2026
Comwel did not say how many of these cases were also investigated for the role of overwork, which only happens if the family asks for it in their claim.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
“Do you need milk or sugar?” she asks.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
Hawley asked Fauci about the day of the week and the color of the carpet.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Salon asked Kaye if there were any plans for more long-form writing.
From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2026
For the tests, humans asked the AI to demonstrate its hacking capabilities in a controlled environment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
It added both carriageways of the road were likely to remain closed for a lengthy period of time while officers remained at the scene, and asked motorists to avoid the area.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
“And just what did my moshom tell you?” she asked, eyeing her moshom simultaneously.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Now, Realtor.com can reveal that the deal has officially closed, with the actress selling the home for just under her final asking price.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
Dermatologists say clients are increasingly asking for treatments that help preserve fine lines and facial expression.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
So I ran around the back of the shop then Uber sent me a message asking me to complete my delivery.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
One general in Annapolis said, “Not a day goes by that we don’t have a Black parent coming to our office and directly asking us to help them free their child.”
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
I kept asking questions, and she was only too happy to keep talking, hardly taking a breath until we stepped off the trolley at the corner of Hollywood and Vine.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
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.
