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

QUIZ YOURSELF ON “ITS” VS. “IT’S”!

Apostrophes can be tricky; prove you know the difference between "it’s" and "its" in this crafty quiz!

Question 1 of 8

On the farm, the feed for chicks is significantly different from the roosters’; ______ not even comparable.

it's

its

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

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. 2022

How to use ask in a sentence

It’s helpful to put these asks in the materials you send ahead because sometimes board members might not be able to react quickly and now “homework” comes up spontaneously in the discussions.
Best practices for Zoom board meetings at early-stage startups|Walter Thompson|February 12, 2021|TechCrunch
This global business was advertising over 50 models in more than 80 markets, across 30 languages — a big ask by any standard.
What a content hub can do for marketing teams|Trevor Grigoruk|January 27, 2021|Digiday
That’s a tough ask for the many millions of casual workers for whom the holiday is their only opportunity each year to reunite with loved ones.
China Marks the Wuhan Lockdown Anniversary Amid Spiraling COVID-19 Cases and With Risky Holiday Travel Looming|Charlie Campbell / Changsha and Wuhan|January 22, 2021|Time
Getting sufficient accuracy with a tablet is a big ask, so Trudeau is more interested in the future prospects of markerless gait analysis technology.
There’s a New Way to Choose the Right Running Shoe|Alex Hutchinson|January 5, 2021|Outside Online

This latter question, we believe, is frequently the outcome of carelessness or laziness on the part of the asker.
The Sea Shore|William S. Furneaux
No one refuses the asker anything that he possesses; on the contrary, they themselves invite us to ask for it.
Great Epochs in American History, Volume I.|Various
As soon as he became Asker he always took the part of the poor.
The Oera Linda Book|Anonymous
When he was twenty-four years old his father had him elected Asega-Asker.
The Oera Linda Book|Anonymous
The young blind asker rose in the darkness that surrounded him.
The Iron Ration|George Abel Schreiner

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

Other definitions for ask (2 of 2)

Origin of 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