beg

[ beg ]

/ bɛg /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR beg ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), begged, beg·ging.

to ask for as a gift, as charity, or as a favor: to beg alms; to beg forgiveness.

to ask (someone) to give or do something; implore: He begged me for mercy. Sit down, I beg you.

to take for granted without basis or justification: a statement that begs the very point we're disputing.

to fail or refuse to come to grips with; avoid; evade: a report that consistently begs the whole problem.

verb (used without object), begged, beg·ging.

to ask alms or charity; live by asking alms.

to ask humbly or earnestly: begging for help; begging to differ.

(of a dog) to sit up, as trained, in a posture of entreaty.

Verb Phrases

beg off, to request or obtain release from an obligation, promise, etc.: He had promised to drive us to the recital but begged off at the last minute.

Words nearby beg

beforehand, beforetime, befoul, befriend, befuddle, beg, beg off, beg the question, beg to differ, beg, borrow, or steal, beg-pardon

Idioms for beg

beg the question, to assume the truth of the very point raised in a question.

go begging, to remain open or available, as a position that is unfilled or an unsold item: The job went begging for lack of qualified applicants.

Origin of beg

before 900; Middle English beggen, by assimilation from Old English *bedican, syncopated variant of bedecian to beg; compare Gothic bidagwa beggar. See bead

SYNONYMS FOR beg

2 entreat, pray, beseech, petition.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR beg ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM beg

half-beg·ging, adjectiveun·begged, adjective

synonym study for beg

2. Beg and request are used in certain conventional formulas, in the sense of ask. Beg, once a part of many formal expressions used in letter writing, debate, etc., is now used chiefly in such courteous formulas as I beg your pardon; The Committee begs to report, etc. Request, more impersonal and now more formal, is used in giving courteous orders ( You are requested to report ) and in commercial formulas like to request payment.

Definition for beg (2 of 3)

beg²

[ beyg, beg ]

/ beɪg, bɛg /

noun

bey.

Origin of beg

1680–90; ≪ Turkic; see bey

Definition for beg (3 of 3)

beg.

begin.

beginning.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Examples from the Web for beg

You must atone, apologize, and beg forgiveness for the thousands of LGBT lives you have taken.
Do LGBTs Owe Christians an Olive Branch? Try The Other Way Around|Jay Michaelson|December 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The premise was simple: sell a brand to the patient and trust that the patient will beg the doctor for the same brand.
New Study Says Doctors Can’t “Just Say No” to Their Patients|Kent Sepkowitz|March 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She is not denying her behavior, and she's unwilling to beg for the public's mercy.
Duke's Freshman Porn Starlet Isn't Ashamed—and She Shouldn't Be|Emily Shire|February 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But a world of people who care so very passionately about figure skating for exactly 10 days every four years beg to differ.
Sotnikova Beat Kim Yu-Na? Figure Skating Is Probably Corrupt (But We Knew That)|Kevin Fallon|February 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST

As scandals continue to unfold in front of him, they beg more questions than I am sure Scott Walker would like to answer.
Dem’s the Breaks: GOP Investigation Gives the Left Another Reason to Point Fingers|David Freedlander|February 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Doesn't this urge you to pity, so that you will beg His Holiness for pardon, beg him to receive us?
Three Plays|Luigi Pirandello
May I—just for the next few days—beg your acceptance of this bauble?
What a Man Wills|Mrs. George de Horne Vaizey
I beg you to greet for me all our old friends in the Palatinate; I curse this war to-day more than ever.
The Correspondence of Madame, Princess Palatine, Mother of the Regent; of Marie-Adlade de Savoie, Duchesse de Bourgogne; and of Madame de Maintenon, in Relation to Saint-Cyr|Charlotte-Elisabeth, duchesse d Orlans; Marie Adelaide, of Savoy, Duchess of Burgundy; and Madame de Maintenon
I beg leave particularly to call your attention to the accompanying report from the Secretary of War.
A Compilation of the Messages and Papers of the Presidents: Tyler|Compiled by James D. Richardson
In regard to all that concerns myself and the writer, I must beg you to ask me no questions.
Lord Montagu's Page|G. P. R. James

British Dictionary definitions for beg (1 of 2)

beg¹

/ (bɛɡ) /

verb begs, begging or begged

(when intr , often foll by for) to solicit (for money, food, etc), esp in the street

to ask (someone) for (something or leave to do something) formally, humbly, or earnestlyI beg forgiveness; I beg to differ

(intr) (of a dog) to sit up with forepaws raised expectantly

to leave unanswered or unresolvedto beg a point

beg the question

to evade the issue
to assume the thing under examination as proved
to suggest that a question needs to be askedthe firm's success begs the question: why aren't more companies doing the same?

go begging or go a-begging to be unwanted or unused

Word Origin for beg

C13: probably from Old English bedecian; related to Gothic bidagwa beggar

usage for beg

The use of beg the question to mean that a question needs to be asked is considered by some people to be incorrect

British Dictionary definitions for beg (2 of 2)

beg²

/ (bɛɡ) /

noun

a variant of bey

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

Idioms and Phrases with beg

beg

In addition to the idioms beginning with beg

beginning of the end, the
begin to see daylight
begin to see the light
begin with
beg off
beg the question
beg to differ

also see:

go begging

beg

verb (used with object), begged, beg·ging.

verb (used without object), begged, beg·ging.

Verb Phrases

Words related to beg

Words nearby beg

Idioms for beg

Origin of beg

SYNONYMS FOR beg

OTHER WORDS FROM beg

synonym study for beg

Definition for beg (2 of 3)

noun

Origin of beg

Definition for beg (3 of 3)

Examples from the Web for beg

British Dictionary definitions for beg (1 of 2)

verb begs, begging or begged

Word Origin for beg

usage for beg

British Dictionary definitions for beg (2 of 2)

noun

Idioms and Phrases with beg