besought

[bih-sawt]

See more synonyms for besought on Thesaurus.com

verb

a simple past tense and past participle of beseech.

Related formsun·be·sought, adjective

beseech

[bih-seech]

verb (used with object), be·sought or be·seeched, be·seech·ing.

to implore urgently: They besought him to go at once.
to beg eagerly for; solicit.

verb (used without object), be·sought or be·seeched, be·seech·ing.

to make urgent appeal: Earnestly did I beseech, but to no avail.

Origin of beseech

before 1100; Middle English bisechen, Old English besēcan. See be-, seek

Related formsbe·seech·er, nounbe·seech·ing·ly, adverbbe·seech·ing·ness, nounun·be·seech·ing, adjectiveun·be·seech·ing·ly, adverb

Synonyms for beseech

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1. pray, petition, supplicate, adjure. 1, 2. entreat, importune.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for besought

implore, sue, invoke, pray, importune, entreat, crave, solicit, plead, ask, supplicate, appeal, adjure, petition

Examples from the Web for besought

Historical Examples of besought

She had re-appeared; it was she herself who now sobbed and besought him to be tender and merciful.
The Dream
Emile Zola
A friendly federal judge was besought to stop me by an injunction.
Government by the Brewers?
Adolph Keitel
He snatched my hand, and besought me not to leave him in displeasure.
Clarissa, Volume 3 (of 9)
Samuel Richardson
Soon it was I who besought the Count to fly—to leave me—to see me no more.
The International Monthly, Volume 3, No. 2, May, 1851
Various
Again Jean, in stammering, disconnected sentences, besought him to be quiet.
The Downfall
Emile Zola

British Dictionary definitions for besought

besought

verb

the past tense and past participle of beseech

beseech

verb -seeches, -seeching, -sought or -seeched

(tr) to ask (someone) earnestly (to do something or for something); beg

Derived Formsbeseecher, nounbeseeching, adjectivebeseechingly, adverb

Word Origin for beseech

C12: see be-, seek; related to Old Frisian besēka

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

Word Origin and History for besought

Middle English besohte, past tense and past participle of beseech.

beseech

late 12c., bisecen "to beseech, beg urgently," from be- + Middle English secen "to seek" (see seek). German cognate besuchen is merely "to visit." Related: Besought; beseeching.