ask
verb (used with object)
to put a question to; inquire of.
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:
Unfortunately for him, he isn’t Buffett—he’s a fund manager whose clients can ask for their money back whenever they want, and many have.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
Stodden said she chose to speak out after reflecting: "I can't change what happened to me but I can ask myself: How did so many adults look at a minor and decide this was acceptable?"
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
“Something that I feel like I’ve learned is, it’s OK to ask for support,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
Should you ask for more than the listed amount?
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
I ask her again, and she replies, but never looks me in the eye.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
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 Sue Klebold, mother of one of the Columbine killers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
Ask yourself, “Who do I become around my mother?” suggests Thema Bryant, a professor of psychology at Pepperdine University.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 29, 2026
"Ask yourself questions like: 'What was going on that day? Was I waiting for someone to message back?"
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
“It was a cold night. I’ll never forget the smell of it, either. Like when my uncle used to cut up deer. Ask Francis. He remembers, too.”
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
“But this moment asks for more than steady management. It asks for vision.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
"Seventh heaven?" asks the Metro, in a nod to Burnham being the seventh British prime minister in a decade.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
The new lawsuit, filed in the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, asks the court to strike down what it called an “unlawful” permit issued last month to Sable Offshore Corp from the U.S.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
The third-ranked question on the Say platform, based on votes, asks about the timeline for Tesla’s third-generation Optimus and sales volume for next year, as well as what the robot will be capable of.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
“That sounds like an ominous question, La. Is everything okay?” he asks.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
Woodburn insisted the company had responded as soon as the Ministry of Defence had asked for its help.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
Both asked to remain unnamed because they were not authorized to publicly discuss LAHSA’s presentation, which focused on the results of this year’s annual point-in-time count conducted in January.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
I asked Elliott what risk he sees of the federal government trying to change the inflation calculations on TIPS.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
The judge then asked why prosecutors requested that the subpoena for phone records remain confidential.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
“Any advice for reading my poetry in front of a big crowd?” she asked.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Now, the Sterlings are once again offering up the dwelling as a rental opportunity, listing the property for $13,950 a month—a significant increase on its 2021 asking price of $11,000.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
When Odysseus’ men arrive at Circe’s home, hungry, asking to be fed, Circe seems frightened — understandably so.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
A lawsuit filed by Scott Winters, a 55-year-old pastor from Florida, claimed ChatGPT told him not to seek medical help after repeatedly asking about symptoms in the build-up to a near-fatal pulmonary embolism.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
The question of when having a lot of books becomes having too many books is subjective, but that’s never kept anyone from asking.
From Salon ● Jul. 23, 2026
“No. I’m asking about chemistry because you mentioned it was your worst subject. I told you that calculus was mine. Remember?”
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
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.
