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• ask
  ask

  verb (used with object)

  to put a question to; inquire of.
• Ask
  Ask

  noun

  the first man, made by the gods from an ash tree.

ask

¹ American  

[ask, ahsk] / æsk, ɑsk /

verb (used with object)

• asks,
  present (3rd person singular)
• asked,
  past participle,  past
• asking
  present participle

1. to put a question to; inquire of.

   I asked him but he didn't answer.

   Synonyms:

   interrogate, question

   Antonyms:

   answer

2. to request information about.

   to ask the way.

3. to try to get by using words; request.

   to ask advice; to ask a favor.

   Synonyms:

   appeal, sue

4. to solicit from; request of.

   Could I ask you a favor? Ask her for advice.

   Synonyms:

   entreat, beg, beseech

5. to demand; expect.

   What price are they asking? A little silence is all I ask.

6. to set a price of.

   to ask $20 for the hat.

7. to call for; need; require.

   This experiment asks patience.

8. to invite.

   to ask guests to dinner.

9. Archaic. to publish (banns).

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verb (used without object)

• asks,
  present (3rd person singular)
• asked,
  past participle,  past
• asking
  present participle

1. to make inquiry; inquire.

   to ask about a person.

   Antonyms:

   answer

2. to request or petition (usually followed byfor ).

   to ask for leniency; to ask for food.

   Synonyms:

   appeal, sue

noun

1. a question or inquiry.

2. a request, especially a demanding one.

   Is it too big an ask for you to give me a loan?

idioms

1. ask for it, to risk or invite trouble, danger, punishment, etc., by persisting in some action or manner.

   He was asking for it by his abusive remarks.

Ask ² American  

[ahsk] / ɑsk /

noun

Scandinavian Mythology.

1. the first man, made by the gods from an ash tree.

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ask ¹ British  

/ ɑːsk /

verb

1. (often foll by about) to put a question (to); request an answer (from)

   she asked (him) about God

2. (tr) to inquire about

   she asked him the time of the train

   she asked the way

3. (tr) to direct or put (a question)

4. to make a request or demand

   she asked (him) for information

   they asked for a deposit

5. (tr) to demand or expect (esp in the phrases ask a lot of, ask too much of )

6. 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

7. (tr) to need; require

   the job asks both time and patience

8. archaic (tr) to proclaim (marriage banns)

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noun

1. informal a task which is difficult to fulfil

Ask ² British  

/ ɑːsk /

noun

1. Norse myth the first man, created by the gods from an ash tree

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ask More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing ask

• don't ask
• for the asking

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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. 

Ask can also mean to make a request for something. In this sense, it is often used in the phase “to ask for.”

• 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.  

Ask also means to invite someone to do something or go somewhere.

• 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

• asker
  noun
• unasking
  adjective
• unaskingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Participles

• asking
  present
• asked
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• ask
  simple
• asks
  simple
• have asked
  perfect
• has asked
  perfect
• am asking
  progressive
• are asking
  progressive
• is asking
  progressive
• have been asking
  perfect progressive
• has been asking
  perfect progressive

Past

• asked
  simple
• had asked
  perfect
• was asking
  progressive
• were asking
  progressive
• had been asking
  perfect progressive

Future

• will ask
  simple
• will have asked
  perfect
• will be asking
  progressive
• will have been asking
  perfect progressive

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

See Examples For:

ask Ask asks asked asking

In fact, Citizens Advice, a network of local charities that offers free confidential advice, including on finances, said more paying parents ask it for help than receiving parents.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

I ask it to attack my drafts, defend the opposing view, and flag every transition that limps.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

For a director who’s staked a name on films and television shows that are narratively impenetrable, “Her Private Hell” may feel like a big ask for some viewers.

From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2026

Records show that the ask was lowered to $49.9 million in October 2025, five months before the unit was sold.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026

Walking away, I overhear Dara ask my Boat Boy out to SJ’s tonight.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

"Ask local schools, libraries or after-school science clubs whether they might like them," Dr Tonkin told BBC News's Your Voice.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

Ask them about their interests, their life, their relationships, their favorite book.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

“Somebody once asked me on a Reddit Ask Me Anything what is one street you think needs a bike lane,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026

What they could’ve done instead: Ask around for good contractors who people are happy with, rather than seeking a cheap one online.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 1, 2026

“It’s a long story. Ask Lena about it sometime; I believe she knows the tale.”

From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull

He asks what they’re working on and what frustrates them.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

The filing asks the court to allow the subpoenas to be served by email and certified mail, saying attempts to serve them by hand were unsuccessful.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

One question he asks them is what they think their adviser does for them when not meeting and how long that takes.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026

If a goalkeeper asks for treatment, an outfield player, as chosen by the coach, must leave the field for one minute.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

“Do you know August Wilson, the playwright?” he asks.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

Then on Monday afternoon, the force said the same road was shut due to a "road traffic collision" with a bridge, and officers asked people to find alternative routes.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín will be asked to rule on the request during a Wednesday court hearing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026

But almost everyone asked the question, which many answered: What do we do about it?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

By comparison, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has asked Congress for $37.5 billion to pay for the cost so far of the war in Iran.

From Slate ● Aug. 17, 2026

Sarah R. asked, like she could read his mind.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

The US has been asking for a number of concessions from Canada, including removing its remaining retaliatory tariffs on American autos and adjusting its dairy quotas.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

“We had people messaging us constantly asking us, ‘When are you coming to New York?’”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026

But generally, presidents were very, very good about asking their lawyers, or as the foreign emoluments provision says, asking Congress.

From Slate ● Aug. 17, 2026

This request — asking Republicans to spend lavishly on weapons — should be as easy as talking Hegseth into another round of martinis at breakfast.

From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2026

Maggie looked at her blankly, wondering why she was asking her, forgetting she was wearing an apron that seemed to indicate she worked here.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Related Words

• appeal
• beg
• call for
• charge
• claim
• demand
• order
• petition
• plead
• request
• seek
• sue
• urge