ask

[ ask, ahsk ]

/ æsk, ɑsk /

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verb (used with object)

to put a question to; inquire of: I asked him but he didn't 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)

to make inquiry; inquire: to ask about a person.

to request or petition (usually followed by for): to ask for leniency; to ask for food.

noun

a question or inquiry.

a request, especially a demanding one: Is it too big an ask for you to give me a loan?

OTHER WORDS FOR ask

1 question, interrogate.

3, 11 sue, appeal.

4 beseech, beg, entreat.

See synonyms for ask on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR ask

1, 10 answer.

See antonyms for ask on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about ask

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.

Origin of ask

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”

synonym study for ask

10. See inquire.

OTHER WORDS FROM ask

asker, nounun·ask·ing, adjectiveun·ask·ing·ly, adverb

Words nearby ask

ASIO, Asir, -asis, as it were, A sizes, ask, ask after, askance, Ask, and it shall be given you, askarel, askari

Other definitions for ask (2 of 2)

Ask

[ ahsk ]

/ ɑsk /

noun Scandinavian Mythology.

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

Compare Embla.

Origin of Ask

<Old Norse Askr;see ash²

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

MORE ABOUT ASK

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.

Where does ask come from?

The first records of ask come from before the 900s. It ultimately comes from the Old English verb āscian or āxian. It is related to older words, such as the Old Frisian āskia and the Sanskrit icchati (“to seek”).

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to ask?

asker (noun)
unasking (adjective)
unaskingly (adverb)

What are some synonyms for ask?

What are some words that share a root or word element with ask?

What are some words that often get used in discussing ask?

How is ask used in real life?

Ask is an extremely common word that most often means to pose a question to someone.

Welp, my wife knows what I got her for Christmas. I asked her which of our three children told her. All three.

— Kevin Cate (@KevinCate) December 22, 2020

Dear Santa,
You didn’t get me the thesaurus I asked for and now I’m mad. You made me really mad. I’m mad at you.

— jon drake (@DrakeGatsby) December 26, 2020

my roommates have politely asked me to stop firing a starting gun every time I get to a new chapter of a book

— Jeremy Elder (@jeremyelderr) December 28, 2020

Try using ask!

Is ask used correctly in the following sentence?

She didn’t want to answer me when I asked her who ate the last slice of pizza.

How to use ask in a sentence

As a best practice, position your ask as something that will benefit their readers.
Six strategies guaranteed to help you build more backlinks to your website|Izabelle Hundrev|December 10, 2020|Search Engine Watch
This ask comes as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is reportedly “softening” to the idea of including stimulus checks in the next package, Politico reported Tuesday.
A last-ditch push to save stimulus checks is gaining traction|Lance Lambert|December 8, 2020|Fortune
It seems that isn't an unreasonable ask, but she should own her preference rather than try to pretend that she is just trying to protect the sister-in-law.
Carolyn Hax: To summarize, you want to exclude her because she’s disabled?|Carolyn Hax|October 29, 2020|Washington Post
“Little did I know how big of an ask it was but, if you want to be at the center of God’s will, you have to be submissive and you have to put yourself out there and I’m so glad I did,” she said.
In Senate rematch, Democrats hope for an Espy upset but remain realistic about Mississippi politics|Sarah Fowler|October 23, 2020|Washington Post

It’s a tough ask — especially when your team goes from regulation-sized to spanning the globe.
What if Your Company Had No Rules? (Bonus Episode)|Maria Konnikova|September 12, 2020|Freakonomics
If ISIS “came into a base and killed hundreds of troops, then people would ask a lot more questions.”
Pentagon Doesn’t Know How Many People It’s Killed in the ISIS War|Nancy A. Youssef|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
And I need to ask why their truth makes me so defensive, as if my truth is the only truth.
In 2015, Let’s Try for More Compassion|Gene Robinson|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
One is forced to ask, what on earth was Andrew doing hanging out with scantily clad teenagers?
Buckingham Palace Disputes Sex Allegations Against Prince ‘Randy Andy’|Tom Sykes|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
“You ask me my motivation,” Marvin says, moving back into his tough guy persona again.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
I ask Atefeh and Monir if they see dancing as a form of income in the future, a potential career.
Iran’s Becoming a Footloose Nation as Dance Lessons Spread|IranWire|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
"There's just one thing I'd like to ask, if you don't mind," said Cynthia, coming suddenly out of a brown study.
The Boarded-Up House|Augusta Huiell Seaman
That it is a reasonable and proper thing to ask our statesmen and politicians: what is going to happen to the world?
The Salvaging Of Civilisation|H. G. (Herbert George) Wells
I ask for half a dozen projectors or so in every school, and for a well-stocked storehouse of films.
The Salvaging Of Civilisation|H. G. (Herbert George) Wells
For it is better that thy children should ask of thee, than that thou look toward the hands of thy children.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
Finally, let me ask the general reader to put aside all prejudice, and give both sides a fair hearing.
God and my Neighbour|Robert Blatchford

British Dictionary definitions for ask (1 of 2)

ask

/ (ɑːsk) /

verb

(often foll by about) to put a question (to); request an answer (from)she asked ( him ) about God

(tr) to inquire aboutshe asked him the time of the train; she asked the way

(tr) to direct or put (a question)

(may take a clause as object or an infinitive often foll by for) to make a request or demandshe 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; invitehe asked her to the party

(tr) to need; requirethe job asks both time and patience

(tr) archaic to proclaim (marriage banns)

noun

a big ask or a tough ask British, Australian and NZ informal a task which is difficult to fulfil

Derived forms of ask

asker, noun

Word Origin for ask

Old English āscian; related to Old Frisian āskia, Old Saxon ēscon, Old High German eiscōn

British Dictionary definitions for ask (2 of 2)

Ask

/ (ɑːsk) /

noun

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with ask

ask

In addition to the idioms beginning with ask

ask a stupid question and you'll get a stupid answer
ask for
ask for the moon
ask out

, see

don't ask
for the asking

ask

OTHER WORDS FOR ask

OPPOSITES FOR ask

Idioms about ask

Origin of ask

synonym study for ask

OTHER WORDS FROM ask

Words nearby ask

Other definitions for ask (2 of 2)

Origin of Ask

MORE ABOUT ASK

What is a basic definition of ask?

Where does ask come from?

Did you know ... ?

How is ask used in real life?

Try using ask!

Words related to ask

How to use ask in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ask (1 of 2)

Derived forms of ask

Word Origin for ask

British Dictionary definitions for ask (2 of 2)

Other Idioms and Phrases with ask