beg
verb (used with object)
to ask for as a gift, as charity, or as a favor: to beg forgiveness.
had been begging
-
past perfect progressiveof beg.past perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.
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.
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
According to a Twitter post from Helena Maleno Garzón, who founded Caminando Fronteras, “The inflatable had been begging for rescue in Spanish waters for more than twelve hours.”
From New York Times ● Jun. 21, 2023
He was detained Monday during a sweep by immigration authorities of downtown areas where migrants had been begging, selling candy and washing windshields.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 28, 2023
Mr Murdaugh shot back with a claim that he had been "begging" to speak to prosecutors.
From BBC ● Feb. 24, 2023
Her father had been begging her to toss the jeans for almost a year, but they were more comfortable than anything else Candice owned.
From "The Parker Inheritance" by Varian Johnson
