implore

American  

[im-plawr] / ɪmˈplɔr /

verb (used with object)

implores, present (3rd person singular) implored, past participle, past imploring present participle

1. to beg urgently or piteously, as for aid or mercy; beseech; entreat.

   They implored him to go.

2. to beg urgently or piteously for (aid, mercy, pardon, etc.).

   implore forgiveness.

   Synonyms:

   solicit, beg, crave

   Antonyms:

   reject, spurn

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verb (used without object)

implores, present (3rd person singular) implored, past participle, past imploring present participle

1. to make urgent or piteous supplication.

implore British  

/ ɪmˈplɔː /

verb

1. to beg or ask (someone) earnestly (to do something); plead with; beseech

2. to ask earnestly or piteously for; supplicate; beg

   to implore someone's mercy

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• imploration
  noun
• implorer
  noun
• imploringness
  noun
• implorable
  adjective
• imploratory
  adjective
• unimplorable
  adjective
• unimplored
  adjective
• imploringly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Participles

• imploring
  present
• implored
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• implore
  simple
• implores
  simple
• have implored
  perfect
• has implored
  perfect
• am imploring
  progressive
• are imploring
  progressive
• is imploring
  progressive
• have been imploring
  perfect progressive
• has been imploring
  perfect progressive

Past

• implored
  simple
• had implored
  perfect
• was imploring
  progressive
• were imploring
  progressive
• had been imploring
  perfect progressive

Future

• will implore
  simple
• will have implored
  perfect
• will be imploring
  progressive
• will have been imploring
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of implore

First recorded in 1530–40; from Latin implōrāre, equivalent to im- “in” ( see im- ¹) + plōrāre “to lament”

Explanation

You might ask your friend for a loan if you're short a few bucks, but if the bank is about to foreclose on your house you'll implore your friend for the money, desperately begging for the cash so you can keep your house. The word implore is often used to describe an urgent request made out of desperation. A man on death row might implore the governor to grant him a last-minute pardon. In the old days, you might have heard the word spoken by someone with lousy aim at a duel — "I implore you not to shoot me, my good man!" Today, this first-person use of the word sounds old-fashioned, although you might still hear it in a period drama.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

implore implores implored imploring

And as corny as that may seem, I implore you: If you have even one microscopic iota of curiosity, see this film.

From Salon ● Mar. 21, 2026

Today U.S. allies implore Ukraine for drone help.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 18, 2026

We implore you to join us in concrete action:

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 30, 2026

In fact, I implore you to rent somewhere in your preferred location and see if the area suits you.

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 14, 2026

“You know how old-fashioned my father-in-law is, Pernilla. He prohibits French, no matter how much I implore him. You are so fortunate to have an understanding husband. Do your sons study French as well?”

From "Fever 1793" by Laurie Halse Anderson

He implores Congress to invoke this clause to make a case for new voting rights legislation that can address the post-Callais landscape.

From Slate ● Jun. 4, 2026

Mosmo’s raw, drawled vocals can be heard in the romantic bélico “Modo B” and the agonizing “Terapia” that implores a past lover for their return.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 12, 2026

Slumped in a chair moments after losing his light-middleweight world title at the Vale Sport Arena, Cardiff, the Swansea native's wife Emma gently implores her bloodied partner to give up the sport.

From BBC ● Feb. 20, 2026

In the blog post, Gates also implores rich nations to restore funding cuts that the foundation said led to the rise in deaths among children last year.

From Barron's ● Jan. 9, 2026

"Every class and every individual must help us create the new Reich," Hitler implores.

From "The Boy Who Dared" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

“Front of house, make sure Bill’s bell is ripping,” Beck implored the sound techs at the Bowl.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2026

This is a topic that is raised in these pages from time to time — most recently by this reader who implored more Americans to start saving early and not to be intimidated by money.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 16, 2026

"Do not be afraid to take the path out of this war. That is the main thing that is required of you now," he implored.

From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026

Earlier, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz implored Iran to "return to the negotiating table and stop holding the region and the world hostage", echoing calls from Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

From Barron's ● May 5, 2026

During radio calls from Hall at 5:36, and again at 5:57, Cotter implored his mate to leave Hansen and come down alone.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer

For his sake, they likely will revert to imploring Angels owner Arte Moreno to “sell the team” soon enough.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 3, 2026

But in a way, you were doing exactly that with your friend by imploring him to shift his funds into assets that would yield a return of 8% to 9%, even before inflation.

From MarketWatch ● May 18, 2026

The secretary and pharmacist and my kid’s baseball coach ask, “How are you feeling?,” silently imploring me to give them a cancer update without making them ask.

From Slate ● May 6, 2026

Melanoma doctors organized and sent a letter to the FDA imploring it to approve RP1.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 21, 2026

“Many of our oldest family trees become a little diseased over time,” he said as Bellatrix gazed at him, breathless and imploring.

From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling

Related Words

• beseech
• plead
• pray
• urge