entreat
Americanverb (used with object)
-
entreats,
present (3rd person singular)
-
entreated,
past participle, past
-
entreating
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
entreats,
present (3rd person singular)
-
entreated,
past participle, past
-
entreating
present participle
verb
-
to ask (a person) earnestly; beg or plead with; implore
-
to make an earnest request or petition for (something)
-
an archaic word for treat
Synonym Usage
See appeal.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
entreatmentnoun
-
nonentreatingadjective
-
unentreatedadjective
-
unentreatingadjective
-
entreatinglyadverb
-
nonentreatinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
entreatsimple
-
entreatssimple
-
have entreatedperfect
-
has entreatedperfect
-
am entreatingprogressive
-
are entreatingprogressive
-
is entreatingprogressive
-
have been entreatingperfect progressive
-
has been entreatingperfect progressive
Past
-
entreatedsimple
-
had entreatedperfect
-
was entreatingprogressive
-
were entreatingprogressive
-
had been entreatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of entreat
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English entreten, from Middle French entrait(i)er; see origin at en- 1, treat
Explanation
To entreat is to ask for something that is really important, like when you entreat the jury to spare your life. The verb entreat implies that the person doing the entreating is really serious about what has to happen. Maybe it's even a matter of life and death, like when parents entreat their children to never drive drunk. Synonyms for entreat are plead, beg, beseech, and implore — all of these are words not to be used lightly. They carry more weight than ask and request.
Vocabulary lists containing entreat
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Romeo and Juliet
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Optimists and happy warriors entreat us to lean on each other to get through these grim times, insisting that community is our strength.
From Salon ● Jan. 8, 2026
“To that end, I entreat Afghanistan’s friends in the West to intercede for us in Washington and in New York, with Congress and with the Biden administration,” Mr. Massoud wrote.
From Washington Times ● Aug. 27, 2021
The signatories entreat him to rapidly expand testing to counter huge lines and speed up test results which can take two weeks.
From The Guardian ● Aug. 8, 2020
So please, I entreat you, send your colorful words away.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 3, 2015
I cannot find my way back, I am shut out though I entreat earnestly and put forth all my strength.
From "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel" by Erich Maria Remarque
The scene is famously depicted in Jane Austin’s “Pride and Prejudice” from the perspective of Elizabeth Bennet, who entreats their father to step in and prevent Mary from showcasing a second musical number.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 30, 2026
In the story of Esther, Mordecai entreats his niece to step into her Jewishness to prevent atrocities from happening.
From Salon ● Mar. 15, 2025
Wake up to joy, it entreats, before it’s too late.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 18, 2022
“Convert your Le Bijou apartment into a private health center,” entreats the company’s website.
From Slate ● Apr. 15, 2020
So many tickets sell that after Uncle Al entreats the crowd to shift closer together for the fourth time, it becomes clear that this won’t be enough.
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
The prosecutor entreated the jury to hold the defendants “accountable not only for what they did but why they did it.”
From Washington Times ● Feb. 21, 2022
Ryan entreated several city officials, including Garcetti, for help.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 27, 2022
When asked if the company had entreated merchants to help it lobby against the legislation, Amazon said its email spoke for itself.
From Reuters ● Aug. 18, 2021
Garden manuals entreated beginners to “double dig,” a wearying technique of inverting layers of topsoil and subsoil while amending both with organic matter.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 13, 2021
"Prince Theon," Maester Luwin entreated, "you will remember your promise? Mercy, you said."
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
Disappointed, exhausted, and bedraggled, Albright sent a hail mary to the Frothville WhatsApp thread, entreating us to donate money to hire laborers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2024
Afterward, Baekje turned its energy to upsetting the balance of power on the Korean peninsula by entreating Silla to rise against Goguryeo, its protector and overlord.
From Textbooks ● Apr. 19, 2023
In one, a Milanese lawyer asks the Vatican to intervene in favor of his Jewish clients; another is from nuns entreating the Vatican to help a family of Jews travel to the United States.
From New York Times ● Jun. 24, 2022
“Come on, come,” the man can be heard entreating.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 17, 2022
Soon I heard him earnestly entreating me to be composed.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
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.
