beg
verb (used with object)
to ask for as a gift, as charity, or as a favor: to beg forgiveness.
beg
1 American
[beg]
/ bɛg /
verb (used with object)
-
begs,
present (3rd person singular)
-
begged,
past participle, past
-
begging
present participle
-
to ask for as a gift, as charity, or as a favor: to beg forgiveness.
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.
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to fail or refuse to come to grips with; avoid; evade.
a report that consistently begs the whole problem.
verb (used without object)
-
begs,
present (3rd person singular)
-
begged,
past participle, past
-
begging
present participle
-
to ask alms or charity; live by asking alms.
-
to ask humbly or earnestly: begging to differ.
begging for help;
begging to differ.
-
(of a dog) to sit up, as trained, in a posture of entreaty.
verb phrase
idioms
-
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.
-
beg the question,
-
to assume the truth of the very point raised in a question.
-
to evade the issue or avoid a direct answer.
-
to raise the question; inspire one to ask.
-
beg
2
American
[beyg, beg]
/ beɪg, bɛg /
noun
beg.
3
American
abbreviation
-
begin.
-
beginning.
beg
1
British
/ bɛɡ /
verb
-
to solicit (for money, food, etc), esp in the street
-
to ask (someone) for (something or leave to do something) formally, humbly, or earnestly
I beg forgiveness
I beg to differ
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(intr) (of a dog) to sit up with forepaws raised expectantly
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to leave unanswered or unresolved
to beg a point
-
-
to evade the issue
-
to assume the thing under examination as proved
-
to suggest that a question needs to be asked
the firm's success begs the question: why aren't more companies doing the same?
-
-
to be unwanted or unused
beg
2
British
/ bɛɡ /
noun
beg
More Idioms
Usage
The use of beg the question to mean that a question needs to be asked is considered by some people to be incorrect
Synonym Usage
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 state, 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.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
begsimple
-
begssimple
-
have beggedperfect
-
has beggedperfect
-
am beggingprogressive
-
are beggingprogressive
-
is beggingprogressive
-
have been beggingperfect progressive
-
has been beggingperfect progressive
Past
-
beggedsimple
-
had beggedperfect
-
was beggingprogressive
-
were beggingprogressive
-
had been beggingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of beg1
First recorded before 900; Middle English beggen, by assimilation from unattested Old English bedican, variant of bedecian “to beg”; compare Gothic bidagwa “beggar”
Origin of beg2
First recorded in 1680–90; from Ottoman Turkish; see origin at bey
Explanation
To beg is to ask for something in an earnest, pleading way. You might beg your roommates to be quiet if you're desperately trying to get some sleep. You can beg your parents to let you go to a concert with your friends, and you can beg your sister for forgiveness after you inadvertently hurt her feelings. In either case, you are imploring, asking sincerely for something you want. Many dogs are skilled at this, and will beg by sitting beside you while you eat, looking adorable. Another way to beg is to ask for desperately needed charity — to solicit money or food from strangers.
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:
“Please, please I just want something, I’ll do anything,” the hungry 8-year-old boy would beg, according to his sister, whose identity The Times is withholding because she is a juvenile.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
Most of those coverage busts came from USC’s backups at the position, but it does beg questions about the depth in the Trojans’ defensive backfield.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
Change the herbs accordingly: chives and parsley are excellent with giardiniera, while Mexican-style pickled carrots practically beg for cilantro and oregano.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
Robert added: "When your child is dying, you shouldn't have to beg to get help that she's entitled to."
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
“I beg your pardon. What’s in my trunk is none of your business.”
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
"There is so much dust and highly polluting traffic in the market where I beg. My eyes are constantly in agony and my sight is deteriorating rapidly."
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2023
"I do my job. And I guess it turns out that I am here to plead. To beg. To please, please do yours."
From Salon ● Jun. 9, 2022
“We beg. A lot,” DeWitt said — for donations, for grant money, for sponsorships from wealthier suburban churches.
From Washington Times ● Dec. 17, 2020
“In 2010, we had to beg. In 2015, we had to ask nicely,” he said.
From New York Times ● Feb. 28, 2019
"I do not beg. Of anyone. Mind you remember that, woman."
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
That begs the question: How much responsibility does a filmmaker have to take a clear stance in their work, especially in a film that is overtly intended to be a lightning rod for heated debate?
From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026
The opposite of a guard dog: Golden retriever begs to play with intruder in San Diego break-in.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026
Lucas has said that his collection, and by extension his museum, represents “the people’s art,” a term that begs as much argument as “treacle.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
McCullum is said to be supportive of players taking responsibility for their behaviour, which begs the question as to why he went along with the curfew in the first place.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
He begs Theo to come visit on his way to Paris.
From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman
She begged staff to let her keep him.
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026
Boyle Heights was reaching a breaking point as a deadline passed to clean up 88 million pounds of rotten food from the burned-down warehouse and residents begged for relief from the horrifying stench.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
A bystander begged to help Good, to check her pulse and perform first aid.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
And Lorne’s agent said to NBC, “You begged him to come back, you can’t do this to him.”
From Salon ● Jul. 5, 2026
She begged and cajoled for three weeks, and finally Mass General agreed to take the case for free.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
That’s despite the Iran war pushing oil prices above $100 a barrel, a new Federal Reserve’s interest-rate hike and artificial-intelligence executives publicly begging their own industry to slow down.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 19, 2026
In an interview with the BBC, the Reform leader said he was not listening to the discussion and revealed his family are "begging" him to leave his job amid increasing pressure.
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026
While begging her parents to keep sending her money, Hannah admitted that she thinks of herself as “the voice of my generation. “Or at least a voice.
From Salon ● Aug. 30, 2026
Kenscoff Mayor Jean Massillon said the community is broke, desperate for government help and had been begging for reinforcements for months.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
I couldn’t spend another moment in this house, waiting for her to show up, begging her in my mind to come back to me, my heart sore and aching.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
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.
