Synonyms

plead

American

[pleed] / plid /

verb (used without object)

to appeal or entreat earnestly.

to plead for time.

Synonyms:

supplicate, beg
to use arguments or persuasions, as with a person, for or against something.

She pleaded with him not to take the job.

Synonyms:

reason
to afford an argument or appeal.

His youth pleads for him.
Law.
1. to make any allegation or plea in an action at law.
2. to put forward an answer on the part of a defendant to a legal declaration or charge.
3. to address a court as an advocate.
4. Obsolete. to prosecute a suit or action at law.

verb (used with object)

to allege or urge in defense, justification, or excuse.

to plead ignorance.

Synonyms:

claim
Law.
1. to maintain (a cause) by argument before a court.
2. to allege or set forth (something) formally in an action at law.
3. to allege or cite in legal defense.
  
  to plead a statute of limitations.

plead British

/ pliːd /

verb

to appeal earnestly or humbly (to)
(tr; may take a clause as object) to give as an excuse; offer in justification or extenuation

to plead ignorance
he pleaded that he was insane
to provide an argument or appeal (for)

her beauty pleads for her
law to declare oneself to be (guilty or not guilty) in answer to the charge
law to advocate (a case) in a court of law
(intr) law
1. to file pleadings
2. to address a court as an advocate

"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

Usage

What does plead mean? Plead means to beg or passionately try to persuade someone to do something. It’s similar to the word beg, which often means to request again and again. Plead can mean the same thing, but it’s especially used to imply that the request is passionate and that the person doing the pleading is desperate. It’s especially used in serious situations. A person might plead with their friend to get help with an addiction. You might plead with your teacher for more time to complete a project. Plead is used in a more specific way in a legal context, in which it means to declare one’s status in response to charges, especially to plead guilty or not guilty, as in How does the defendant plead? and My client pleads not guilty. It can also mean to argue something in court. The expression plead one’s case uses this sense of the word. Less commonly, plead can mean to offer as an excuse for or defense of one’s actions. When used this way, it’s typically followed by the specific excuse, as in, Don’t plead ignorance—you knew what you were doing. Plead has two past tense forms: pleaded and pled. The noun form of plead is plea. Example: When I was a kid, I was afraid of the dentist and used to plead with my mom not to make me go.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of plead

First recordd in 1200–50; Middle English plaiden, from< Old French plaid(i)er “to go to law, plead,” from early Medieval Latin placitāre “to litigate,” derivative of Latin placitum “opinion, agreed condition.” See plea

Explanation

To plead with someone is to try to convince them to see it your way. Your kids may plead with you to let them go on the super-huge outrageous roller coaster built in 1968, but you know better. The term plead comes from the word plea, which is from the legal system, where lawyers make a plea to the court and argue a case for their client. To plead is to ask for something from someone, often on the verge of begging. You may plead with the phone company to give an appointment time that spans only three hours, but, regardless of your pleading, they will make you wait eight hours for the technician to finally show.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing plead

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!

"The Ravine," Vocabulary from the short story

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!

Instead of "Said": Words for Asking and Offering

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.

Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev said the brokerage in years past had to plead with issuers to set aside stock for the company’s IPO Access program, which distributes allocated retail shares at random to interested customers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026

Mr. Clinton pardoned him before Justice could finalize an agreement in which he would plead guilty to a misdemeanor and pay a $5,000 fine.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026

John Bolton, who served as Donald Trump's national security advisor before becoming an outspoken critic of the US president, plans to plead guilty to one count of retaining classified documents, US media reported on Thursday.

From Barron's • Jun. 4, 2026

In the recordings, the men plead for help, saying they are running low on provisions and have not heard from the shipowner for months.

From BBC • May 23, 2026

I was ashamed of myself because I was beginning to plead.

From "The Pigman" by Paul Zindel

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023